'Weepy horse' toy goes viral after sewing error

"Weepy horse" plush toys in various sizes are lined up at a factory in Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, Jan. 11, 2026. (Photo: China News Service/Dong Yixin)

The "weepy horse", originally intended as a smiling Year of the Horse figurine, attracted widespread attention after a consumer in Hangzhou shared her purchase online. The unusual design resulted from a worker mistakenly sewing the upturned mouth into a downward curve during production. The unexpected popularity of the defective design has led to a sharp increase in purchase orders, keeping factories working around the clock to fulfill demand.