The viral plush toy, nicknamed “Kuku Ma,” which means “crying horse” in Chinese, was supposed to be a happy symbol for the Year of the Horse.
However, due to a production error, the muzzle was stitched on upside down, giving it a frown and making the nostrils look like tears.
Zhang Huoqing, the owner of the shop, said that the toy’s famous sad face came from a mistake made by a worker at the Happy Sister plant.
A consumer in Hangzhou discovered the error and shared pictures of the toy online, which sparked widespread attention.
According to Zhang, when the ‘crying horse’ was first produced in October, roughly 400 horses were sold per day.
After its viral attention, orders increased to tens of thousands every day, with wholesale orders pouring in from as far away as South Africa.
The horse plush is reportedly roughly 20 centimetres (7.8 in) tall.
It has a golden collar and bell around its neck, is colored red for good fortune, and has the words “money comes quickly” embroidered in golden letters on its body.
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Crying horse toy resonates with China’s office workers
China’s newest popular item quickly became a meme and is now being claimed as a symbol for Chinese office workers, who call themselves “niu ma,” meaning “cattle and horse,” a metaphor for overworked employees.
Netizens posted photos of the crying horse toy online, captioning it with “me at work versus me after work.”
Hashtag #YiwuCryCry-HorseGoneViral had also reportedly received over 100 million views on Sina Weibo as of early January.
“This crying horse really fits the reality of modern working people,” Zhang stated.
“People joked that the crying horse is how you look at work, while the smiling one is how you look after work.”
Angelica N. Hall 
Shameeka Voyiya 
Carmela Calling