Why is Draco Malfoy becoming a lunar new year icon in China?

‘Magical awakening that attracts abundant wealth’ - that’s the message in Mandarin on a banner of Draco Malfoy spotted at one Chinese shopping centre. Subscribe to Guardian News on YouTube ► https://www.youtube.com/user/guardianwires?sub_confirmation=1 It’s part of a recent surge of ‘Malfoy mania’, but why? Images of Tom Felton, who played Harry Potter’s young nemesis, are appearing on a wave of memes and merchandise across China tied to lunar new year 2026, with 17 February marking the shift in the annual zodiac sign from snake to horse. So where does Malfoy come in? Guardian journalist, Ann Lee explains fans are playing on the fact his name is rendered in Mandarin as “mǎ ěr fú” – the first character means “horse”, while the final character, “fú”, means “fortune” or “blessing”. Put together, it can be loosely read as “horse fortune”, making Malfoy an unlikely auspicious figure for the new year celebrations. Felton has acknowledged the trend himself, sharing an Instagram story with the image of his face in a shopping mall on his account. Since the launch of Chinese versions of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series in 2000, approximately 200m copies of the books have been sold in China, according to CGTN. Last year, Warner Brothers Discovery announced it was going to build a Harry Potter studio tour in Shanghai, larger than the existing studio tours in London and Tokyo. #dracomalfoy #chinesenewyear #yearofthehorse #china #newyear #lunarnewyear