Horse-themed toys drive festive sales boom in China as new zodiac year approaches

Toys inspired by the 2026 zodiac horse are galloping off shelves ahead of the Spring Festival, China's most important holiday, fueling a surge in consumer spending and factory production.

A mis-stitched Year of the Horse plushie has become a viral sensation in China's Yiwu, a city known as "the world's supermarket."

Designed with a happy grin, the toy was unexpectedly stitched with a frown instead. The imperfect little horse is now winning hearts online, driving sales.

The surge in online popularity triggered a manufacturing boom. The factory rapidly scaled up operations, expanding its production lines from two to more than a dozen to meet soaring demand. Daily output now exceeds 15,000 units to keep up with the orders.

In Yangzhou City, east China's Jiangsu Province, manufacturers are operating at full capacity to meet surging demand for zodiac horse toys ahead of the Spring Festival.

In Chinese culture, the horse is a potent symbol of vitality, strength, and success. Often associated with the idiom "Ma Dao Cheng Gong" -- meaning "instant success upon the arrival of the horse" -- the animal represents an unyielding spirit and rapid progress. Horses have long been treasured for their role in transportation and prosperity, and they are still a favorite zodiac sign today, viewed as a harbinger of energy and progress in the new year.

"This is our new product, 'Five Horses Bringing Blessings.' The five-colored ponies symbolize fortune, prosperity, longevity, joy, and wealth. We have already received orders for 200,000 sets, which must be delivered before the Spring Festival. Our factory is currently operating overtime to meet this surge in demand and ensure timely delivery," said Zhu Lian, head of domestic sales for a toy producer in Yiwu.

To fulfill the surge in orders, another local manufacturer has its entire workforce of over 100 employees operating at full capacity. The company's manager reported that pre-Spring Festival orders have more than doubled compared to the same period last year.

"We have noticed that products for the upcoming Year of the Horse are selling significantly better than in previous years, which has kept our warehouse busy with nonstop packing and shipping," said Tang Lili, manager of a local plush toy company.

The Year of the Horse will begin on Feb. 17, 2026, according to the Chinese lunar calendar. 

Horse-themed toys drive festive sales boom in China as new zodiac year approaches

More than a month ahead of the Chinese New Year, restaurants across China have reported a booming demand for reunion dinners, with popular places already fully reserved.

The family reunion dinners on the eve of the Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, is the most important meal of the year for Chinese people. It has long been an essential part of celebrating the Chinese New Year. This year, the festival falls on Feb 17.

In Taiyuan, capital city of north China's Shanxi Province, one restaurant said all tables for the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner have been reserved.

"We now have 36 private rooms and 13 tables in the hall. The New Year's Eve dinner is fully booked. Many families started reserving as early as November 2025," said Han Huiyan, a restaurant manager.

To meet the demand, many restaurants start to offer takeaway banquet package that can be easily prepared at home, allowing families to enjoy a variety of festive dishes without dining out.

In Ningbo, a city in east China's Zhejiang Province, many popular restaurants said that they are approaching full reservation levels. To reduce peak demand, some restaurants now offer off-peak reunion dinners starting later at night.

"We now offer a 'second round' of New Year's Eve dinners, which start at 19:30. We also offer discount for such New Year's Eve dinners, a promotion of 20 percent off set menus," said Sun Lijuan, a restaurant manager.

In Lianyungang, a city in east China's Jiangsu Province, smaller private rooms of a local restaurant have been nearly sold out, and customized menus and home-delivery services have drawn strong interest.

"This year we have specially launched the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner delivery service. Bookings are very strong and customers really like this option," said Geng Maoran, a restaurant general manager.

Restaurants see surge in bookings for Chinese New Year's Eve dinners