Ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year, which welcomes the Year of the Horse on 17 February, an unexpected symbol has captured the nation's attention: a defective plush toy known as the 'crying horse'. Produced by Happy Sister in Yiwu, China, this red horse was intended to wear a broad grin but instead sports a despairing grimace due to a factory error that placed its smile upside down, making its nostrils appear as tears.
From Manufacturing Flaw to Viral Sensation
Despite this mistake, the toy has become a runaway success, going viral on Chinese social media platforms. It resonates deeply with a zeitgeist of corporate fatigue and worker burnout, particularly among white-collar employees. Many Chinese workers endure long hours, such as the notorious 996 system—working from 9am to 9pm, six days a week—which, though outlawed in 2021, remains common in practice.
Symbolism of Workplace Struggles
Online buyers have embraced the 'crying horse' as a relatable emblem of their daily grind. As one shopper, Tuan Tuan Mami, noted, the toy looks 'so sad and pitiful, just like the way I feel at work'. This sentiment is echoed across social media, where the toy has sparked discussions about work pressure and emotional expression.
Jacob Cooke, CEO of WPIC Marketing + Technologies, explains that consumer products like this toy can serve as outlets for such conversations, especially on platforms like Xiaohongshu, where consumer culture and emotional expression are closely linked.
Trends and Global Appeal
The 'crying horse' taps into the broader trend of 'ugly-cute' toys, popularised by characters such as Pop Mart's Labubu. Its appeal has transcended China, with wholesale orders coming from South Africa, East Asia, and the Middle East. Plans are underway to feature its image on new merchandise in the coming year.
By mid-January, daily orders exceeded 15,000 units, prompting the factory to open ten additional production lines. Zhang Huoqing, owner of Happy Sister, remarked that people joke the crying horse represents how one looks at work, while the smiling version is for after hours. Unable to identify the worker responsible for the error, she decided to give everyone a bonus, turning a mistake into a celebrated success story.
