China's business people are seeing increasing orders from both domestic and international customers for horse-themed products as the Spring Festival, which falls on Tuesday, the very first day of the Year of the Horse, is just around the corner.
The growing demand was marked by a manufacturing mix-up in Yiwu, China's famed "world's supermarket" in the eastern province of Zhejiang, with an unusual crying-face toy horse capturing the hearts of both Chinese and international customers.
It all began with a customer noticed that one of the 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.
The novel toy horse even attracted buyers from Portugal, who noted their customers particularly favor such charming and adorable items.
"The factory worker made a mistake, but our customers love the crying-face toy horse. It is really attractive," said a Portuguese buyer.
With an average daily shipment of more than 20,000 pieces, it has become a phenomenal best-selling plush toy.
"We receive orders from Russia, Britain, the U.S., and even Pakistan," said Zhang Huoqing, a business owner in Yiwu. Products made in the image of another fluffy-haired horse, which was inspired by the artwork of the famous Chinese painter Qi Baishi, also enjoy wide popularity, especially among children.
"When it hangs loose and messy without the little braids, it reminds me of how my mom and dad look every day when they come home exhausted from work. Once its braids are tied up, it looks refreshed and radiant -- just like how we children look during the holidays," said Cui Hongming, a child who made a horse-shaped artwork when visiting a workshop in east China's Jinan City.
Across China, different regions are rolling out a diverse range of horse-themed creative products, inspired by their history, rich intangible cultural heritage, and craftsmanship that passed down from generation to generation, sending auspicious wishes for the Year of the Horse.
China sees booming demand for horse-themed products as Spring Festival approaches
As one of the four sub-venues for China Media Group's 2026 Spring Festival Gala, Harbin in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province is to distinguish itself with its unique ice stage.
Known as the "Ice City," Harbin is the northernmost and coldest of this year's gala locations. Set against sweeping snow and ice landscapes, the city is to offer a striking winter backdrop for the nationally televised variety show.
At the Harbin Ice and Snow World, the production team has constructed a new main stage designed specifically for the gala. Framed by ten snowflake-shaped structures, the "ice stage" is intentionally compact and immersive, standing in contrast to the surrounding monumental ice architecture.
"We didn't intend to build a massive stage this time. Instead, we wanted a more intimate layout," said Cao Tianshu, production director of the Harbin sub-venue for the 2026 Spring Festival Gala.
"We've created ten snowflake structures, each made of a special steel mesh material, so as to produce a translucent effect, enhanced through lighting. The structure is sturdy and wind-resistant, as the mesh is pervious to wind. We've also built a 30-by-30-meter ice rink that can accommodate skating and ice dance performances, and we put a lot of efforts into ensuring the quality of the ice," Cao said.
Even without large LED screens or heavy digital effects, producers say the natural texture of ice and snow will create unexpected visual impact — one of the Harbin segment’s defining features.
The Harbin show is expected to run about seven minutes. Members of the directing team traveled to the city five times during preparations, selecting representative landmarks and cultural elements that reflect Harbin’s winter economy, regional character and contemporary spirit.
"We have incorporated signature scenes tied to Harbin's ice and snow culture, like the Ice and Snow World, Central Street and the Chinese Baroque quarter. We've also included local specialties and popular attractions favored by visitors and online audiences, such as the well-known giant snowman. All these elements are woven into this year's program design," said Zhang Ji, chief director of the Harbin sub-venue for the 2026 Spring Festival Gala.
Unlike traditional singing performances, this year's Harbin segment will adopt a narrative format. Performers will portray ordinary people who emerged in Harbin's recent tourism boom, recreating heartwarming moments through staged storytelling.
The segment will also adopt advanced sci-tech elements, both aerial and ground-based, adding further visual dimension to the winter-themed production.
The other three sub-venues are Yiwu in Zhejiang Province, Hefei in Anhui Province and Yibin in Sichuan Province, which alongside Harbin will present a diverse cultural show for the festival.
Initiated in 1983, the Spring Festival Gala has become a central feature of Chinese New Year celebrations. The annual program combines music, dance, comedy sketches, traditional opera and folk arts, and airs on the eve of the Spring Festival.
This year, the gala will go live on Monday.
Harbin brings ice stage to Spring Festival Gala
