South China Morning PostFeb 10
China and foreign stars with names sounding like Chinese character for horse gain popularity
MeasuredFactual1 source
China and foreign stars with names sounding like Chinese character for horse gain popularity
2 articles
2 sources
0% diversity
Updated 10.2.2026
Key Topics & People
Draco Malfoy *Tom Felton Harry Potter JK Rowling Warner Brothers Discovery
Coverage Framing
2
Human Interest(2)
Avg Factuality:80%
Avg Sensationalism:Low
Story Timeline
Feb 10, 2026
1 articles|1 sources
horselunar new yeartom feltonchinese social mediadraco malfoy
Human Interest(1)
Key Claims
factual
Some Chinese and foreign stars have trended on mainland social media due to their names sounding like 'horse' in Mandarin.
factual
British actor Tom Felton has gone viral in China.
factual
The Chinese translation of Malfoy, Ma Er Fu, contains the character 'Ma' which means horse.
factual
Lucky Chinese sayings like “The horse arrives, success follows,” are commonly seen at festivities in China.
factual
Images of Draco Malfoy are appearing in many homes and offices as festive decorations.
— Chinese Newsweek
Feb 4, 2026
1 articles|1 sources
draco malfoyharry potterlunar new yearchinayear of the horse
Human Interest(1)
The Guardian - World NewsFeb 4
Harry Potter’s Draco Malfoy becomes mascot for year of the horse in China
Draco Malfoy, the Harry Potter character, has become a popular Lunar New Year symbol in China due to the auspicious meaning of his Mandarin transliteration, "Mǎ ěr fú," which can be interpreted as "horse fortune." This wordplay has led to a surge of Malfoy-themed memes, fan art, and decorations across Chinese social media as the country prepares for the Lunar New Year. Actor Tom Felton acknowledged the phenomenon by reposting an image of a promotional banner featuring his face. The Harry Potter series has been immensely popular in China, with approximately 200 million copies sold since 2000. Warner Brothers Discovery is also planning to open a large Harry Potter studio tour in Shanghai in 2027, highlighting the franchise's continued popularity in the region.
MeasuredFactual2 sources
Key Claims
factual
Tom Felton reposted a photo of his face on a Chinese New Year banner on his Instagram story.
statistic
Approximately 200m copies of the Harry Potter books have been sold in China since 2000.
— CGTN
factual
Warner Brothers Discovery will build a Harry Potter studio tour in Shanghai, expected to open in 2027.
factual
Draco Malfoy has become a lunar new year icon in China due to his name's Mandarin transliteration.
factual
Malfoy's name in Mandarin, "mǎ ěr fú", can be loosely read as "horse fortune".