Year of the Horse-themed cultural products strike an emotional chord with young consumers

As the Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, approaches, creative cultural products themed on the Horse zodiac sign are making waves. Quirky designs, including a horse toy with a "crying" expression, and a horse toy with a flowing and unruly hairstyle, are flying off shelves due to their emotional appeal.

For many young consumers, these designs offer a sense of comfort and relatability. Ms. Zhu from north China's Tianjin Municipality, for example, bought the horse toy with the "crying" expression to place on her desk.

Store owner Zhang Huoqing displays toy horses with crying faces at the Yiwu International Trade Market in Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang Province. (People's Daily Online/Cheng Xin)

"When work gets tough or things don't go well, seeing the horse's 'crying' expression helps me release my emotions. It feels like I'm not alone," she explained.

A similar product, "Ma Biaobiao," inspired by the work of a renowned Chinese artist, which is on display at the Shandong Art Museum in Jinan, east China's Shandong Province, has gone viral on Chinese social media.

The most striking feature of this little horse is its hairstyle, which is loose and carefree, resonating with consumers because it feels more relaxed. Zhang, a visitor to the Shandong Art Museum, purchased one for 69 yuan (about $9.93), appreciating how the design reflected a more laid-back attitude that matched his own mood.

According to Sun Qianqian from Communication University of China, these products stand out because they break away from the traditional refined and auspicious designs often seen in creative cultural products. Instead, they embrace imperfection, which aligns with young people's desire for authenticity and a sense of ease. They also serve as emotional outlets, allowing for personal expression and social sharing.

The plush toy of a green horse treading on a flying swallow, is a cultural product featuring the bronze horse statue, popularly known as "Bronze Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow," at the Gansu Provincial Museum in northwest China's Gansu Province. The plush quickly became a hit, selling around 20,000 units in the first week of its launch.

Feng Xiao, head of the polymer clay art research institute which designs, produces and sells "Ma Biaobiao," said they've been designing Year-of-the-Horse-themed products since the second half of 2025, transforming ancient paintings into three-dimensional polymer clay figures, with the goal of creating pieces that truly move people and spark empathy.

The rise of horse toys isn't just the work of their designers, said Sun. It's a form of cultural co-creation. Internet users reinterpret the designs, play with memes about the toys, and share them, embedding their own life experiences into the products.

A recent report jointly released by the Shanghai Youth and Children Research Center and the social networking platform Soul App found that nearly 60 percent of young people are willing to pay for products that offer emotional value.