Refer China: China factory production sewing error 'weepy horse' toy goes viral, wins hearts

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A production blunder at a factory in eastern China has turned toy ponies into viral crying-faced horses which have become popular mascots for the Year of the Horse.

In January, a netizen shared a picture of a pony with a crying face and the retailer, amused by the mistake, offered to exchange it.

The toy was made in Yiwu International Trade City, which is known as the world's largest wholesale market for small commodities.

One of the "crying face" horses sits on a desk at a workstation. Millions have embraced the sad-looking toy online. Photo: cz.tv

The 20cm tall horse which costs 25 yuan (US$4), symbolises the Year of the Horse and is red for good luck. It also features a golden "money comes quickly" message embroidered on its body.

According to mainland media outlet People's Daily, a sewing error caused the toy's pouty mouth and nostrils facing downwards, creating a crying face that was originally seen as a defect.

However, many netizens have embraced the imperfection, dubbing the flawed toy "Crying Horse".

A pair of the red-faced toys. The "Crying Horse" on the left came about because of a factory production line mistake. Photo: cz.tv

A buyer, known online as Tuan Tuan Mami, said online: "This little horse looks so sad and pitiful, just like the way I feel at work.

"With this crying toy in the Year of the Horse, I hope to leave all my grievances at work behind and keep only happiness."

Many young people, who often call themselves niu ma, a euphemistic term for overworked labourers in China meaning "cattle and horse", saw the crying toy as the new symbol of office workers.

Shoppers have been snapping up the toys, boosting sales to tens of thousands daily. Photo: cz.tv

Another buyer said the crying horses were more relatable than their smiling counterparts.

"Imperfect is the true reflection of ordinary people. Our flaws are what make life truly vibrant," the person wrote.

Factory owner Zhang Huoqing told the media that after the toy horse's release last October, daily sales were just 400 units.

A part of the manufacturing process, above. The factory has added production lines to meet the demand. Photo: cz.tv

However, following the viral success of the crying version, she now receives tens of thousands of orders daily.

To meet the surge, the factory quickly added more than 10 production lines.

Though the worker responsible for the mistake remains unknown, Zhang has promised to reward the entire production team.

The company has reportedly applied for an appearance patent for the crying-faced horse and expanded into merchandise like keychains and travel neck pillows.

Zhang also mentioned a surge in international wholesale orders, including from South Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.