As China prepares for the Lunar New Year and the upcoming Year of the Horse, an unlikely figure from the Harry Potter series has become a symbol of good fortune: Draco Malfoy.
The connection lies in the Mandarin transliteration of 'Malfoy' to 'Ma Er Fu.' The first character 'Ma' means horse, while 'Fu' signifies good luck, creating the auspicious phrase 'horse brings fortune.'
Videos on Chinese social media show people decorating their homes with traditional red posters (fai chun) featuring the grinning face of the blond Hogwarts bully alongside wishes for wealth and health.
The Harry Potter franchise has long been popular in China, with millions of books sold. Actor Tom Felton, who played Malfoy, even noted the trend on his Instagram.
Entrepreneurs are capitalizing on the trend, selling the themed posters on e-commerce platforms like Pinduoduo, where buyers hope the character will bring them luck.