China Focus: Even sad mascots sell: Yiwu toys riding the wave ahead of China's year of horse

"Cry-Cry Horse" stuffed toys are displayed at a store in the Yiwu International Trade City in Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang Province, Jan. 12, 2026. A stuffed toy horse with a sullen face has gone viral recently on Chinese Internet. In Yiwu, a small commodities hub in east China, orders have soared as factories ramp up production to meet market demand. Dubbed "Cry-Cry Horse," the toy was originally a stitching mistake but unexpectedly touched the hearts of netizens with its pitiful expression which has a soothing effect. At present, nearly 20,000 of such toy horse are ordered every day. (Photo by Lyu Bin/Xinhua)

HANGZHOU, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Turning things upside-down doesn't always mean chaos -- it can actually open up surprising opportunities. That's the story behind a plush horse toy from Yiwu, China's famed "world's supermarket", which has galloped into the hearts of millions thanks to a manufacturing mix-up.

It all began with a customer noticed that one of two toy horses she purchased had its mouth stitched upside down. Instead of the usual cheerful grin, the red mascot for the upcoming Chinese Year of the Horse looked sad and helpless.

After she shared it online last week, the toy, dubbed the "crying horse", struck an emotional chord and the post went viral. Even those who usually "look a gift horse in the mouth" found themselves wanting one.

Zhang Huoqing, general manager of plush toy store Happy Sister, told Xinhua that "crying horse" was born from an error of a worker. But she quickly spotted the business opportunity in front of her eyes and started ramping up production. In just 48 hours, the shop grew from two to more than 10 production lines, and they've already applied for a design patent.

Sales of the 20-centimeter-tall toy, which previously averaged about 400 per day, have surged. The factory now produces up to 15,000 pieces daily and still struggles to keep up with demand.

"We have also received overseas orders from countries including Russia and South Africa," she said, adding that many buyers purchase the horses in pairs -- a cheerful one and its sad pal. In spite of the windfall, she vowed that price of the horse will not hike, remaining at 25 yuan (about 3.6 U.S. dollars) each.

A user of Chinese social media platform Weibo nicknamed Yuanlaishifanxinga expressed her desire to buy a sad mascot. "When seen from the side, the horse, its mouth drooping, glances at you with a mix of grievance and tenacity. It just looks like my daughter who was born in a year of horse," she said.

She referenced the Chinese ancient story telling a man who lost a horse, before that missing one later brought back more horses. "A loss may turn out to be a blessing in disguise," she said. "The 'crying horse' carries a wish: may all the setbacks you encounter in life become turning points for the better."

Zhang Jun, another Weibo user, pointed out that behind the popularity of "crying horse" is a shift from functional to emotional value. "At a time when the 'positive energy' feels overused, the 'crying horse' with its flaws offers a rare sense of realism and an outlet for stress relief," he said.

Zhang noted that in this case, what's more crucial is Yiwu's agile supply chain, which enabled the rapid redesign and scale-up of production, instantly turning a mistake into profit.

"From a defective product to an online sensation, the 'crying horse' demonstrated the resilience of 'Made in China'," said Shen Aiguo, a professor of communications in the Hangzhou City University.

Behind the hit is Yiwu's robust industrial chain and sharp market sensitivity, he said. "Made in China is no longer merely about contract manufacturing. The quick response as reflected in this event embodies the confidence of small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises amid market changes in the transformation towards smart manufacturing."

Sales of its Chinese New Year products not yet available, the city of Yiwu in east China's Zhejiang Province posted a record import and export value of 701.19 billion yuan in the first 10 months of 2025, surpassing the 700-billion-yuan threshold for the first time. From January to October, Yiwu conducted trade with 230 countries and regions around the world.

China's manufacturing industry has maintained the top position in the world in terms of overall scale for 15 consecutive years in 2024, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

The Communist Party of China Central Committee's recommendations for formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) explicitly propose that the share of manufacturing in the national economy should be kept at an appropriate level, and that a modernized industrial system should be developed with advanced manufacturing as the backbone.

"We stay alert to market trends and flexibly adjust our products. Right now, ensuring the quality of each product is our top priority," said Zhang Huoqing in Yiwu. "In the future, maybe we will launch extended products such as 'crying sheep'? We will see." ■

A plush toy shop owner (L), with three "Cry-Cry Horse" stuffed toys in front of her, talks with a client at the Yiwu International Trade City in Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang Province, Jan. 12, 2026. A stuffed toy horse with a sullen face has gone viral recently on Chinese Internet. In Yiwu, a small commodities hub in east China, orders have soared as factories ramp up production to meet market demand. Dubbed "Cry-Cry Horse," the toy was originally a stitching mistake but unexpectedly touched the hearts of netizens with its pitiful expression which has a soothing effect. At present, nearly 20,000 of such toy horse are ordered every day. (Photo by Lyu Bin/Xinhua)

A staff member shows "Cry-Cry Horse" stuffed toys at a store in the Yiwu International Trade City in Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang Province, Jan. 12, 2026. A stuffed toy horse with a sullen face has gone viral recently on Chinese Internet. In Yiwu, a small commodities hub in east China, orders have soared as factories ramp up production to meet market demand. Dubbed "Cry-Cry Horse," the toy was originally a stitching mistake but unexpectedly touched the hearts of netizens with its pitiful expression which has a soothing effect. At present, nearly 20,000 of such toy horse are ordered every day. (Photo by Lyu Bin/Xinhua)

A merchant from Finland poses for a selfie with a "Cry-Cry Horse" stuffed toy at the Yiwu International Trade City in Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang Province, Jan. 12, 2026. A stuffed toy horse with a sullen face has gone viral recently on Chinese Internet. In Yiwu, a small commodities hub in east China, orders have soared as factories ramp up production to meet market demand. Dubbed "Cry-Cry Horse," the toy was originally a stitching mistake but unexpectedly touched the hearts of netizens with its pitiful expression which has a soothing effect. At present, nearly 20,000 of such toy horse are ordered every day. (Photo by Lyu Bin/Xinhua)

Zhang Huoqing, general manager of plush toy store Happy Sister, checks orders at the Yiwu International Trade City in Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang Province, Jan. 10, 2026. (Xinhua)

A "crying horse" and and a "cheerful horse" stuffed toys are displayed at a shop of the Yiwu International Trade City in Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang Province, Jan. 11, 2026. (Xinhua)