Highlights
- Draco Malfoy is being embraced online in China during the Year of the Horse
- A Mandarin wordplay links the character’s name to fortune and good luck
- Tom Felton reacts as memes and merchandise flood social media
A wizard finds favour with the zodiac
Draco Malfoy, one of the most recognisable antagonists from the Harry Potter series, has unexpectedly emerged as a Lunar New Year symbol across China, with fans adopting the character as a mascot for the Year of the Horse.
The trend stems from the Mandarin transliteration of Malfoy’s name: mǎ ěr fú. The first character, mǎ, translates to “horse”, while fú signifies “fortune” or “blessing” — a word closely associated with Lunar New Year customs. Read together, the name can be interpreted as “horse fortune”, lending the character an auspicious meaning for the year ahead.
Memes, fan art and festive makeovers
The linguistic coincidence has triggered a surge of online creativity. Social media platforms have filled with memes, illustrations and decorations depicting a youthful Draco Malfoy — portrayed by English actor Tom Felton — smiling from red-and-gold New Year posters or riding cartoon horses. Variations of the imagery have appeared in homes, offices and even shopping centres.
What began as wordplay has quickly turned into themed merchandise and festive décor, with Malfoy recast less as a villain and more as a bearer of good luck.
Tom Felton takes notice
Felton has acknowledged the phenomenon. On Tuesday, the 38-year-old actor — who recently returned to the role in the Broadway production Harry Potter and the Cursed Child — shared an image on his Instagram story showing his face on a red banner displayed inside a Chinese shopping mall.
The Mandarin text on the banner described a “magical awakening that attracts abundant wealth”, further cementing the character’s new symbolic status.
Harry Potter’s enduring pull in China
The Malfoy moment arrives as millions prepare for the Lunar New Year celebrations later this month. Since Chinese editions of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter novels were first released in 2000, around 200 million copies have been sold in the country, underlining the franchise’s lasting popularity.
That influence continues to expand. Last year, Warner Bros Discovery announced plans to open a Harry Potter studio tour in Shanghai. Billed as the first of its kind in China, the 53,000 sq metre attraction is expected to be larger than existing studio tours in London and Tokyo, with an opening slated for 2027.
