As festivities for the upcoming Lunar New Year roll out, an unlikely and delightfully quirky mascot has emerged — Draco Malfoy.
Images of Tom Felton, the actor behind the notorious blond-haired “Harry Potter” villain, have popped up on festive displays across China, where fans have playfully embraced the unlikely figure ahead of the Year of the Horse.
The character’s unexpected popularity is hidden right in his name. In Mandarin, “Malfoy” becomes “Ma-er-fu” — the first character means “horse” and the last means “fortune” or “blessing.” Together, the name loosely translates to “horse fortune,” making him a surprisingly fitting mascot galloping into the Year of the Horse.
Chinese homes have embraced the quirky wordplay by decorating their doors with Draco Malfoy-themed couplets — traditional decorations hung to usher in good fortune and prosperity for the new year. His image has also appeared on large banners, fridge magnets, posters and other festive items throughout the country.
Videos and images shared on social media show people decorating their homes, offices and shopping malls with pictures of a young Felton in character, flashing his signature mischievous smirk.
It seems Felton has caught wind of the craze. On Tuesday, the actor reposted on his Instagram story a photo of his face plastered on a massive red banner hanging in a Chinese mall.
“Magical awakening that attracts abundant wealth,” reads the banner shared in Felton’s post.
The “Harry Potter” franchise has maintained a large, devoted fan base in China since the first novel in the wizard series was released in Chinese in September 2000. Since the release, an estimated 200 million copies of the books have sold in China, reports CGTN.
Last year, Warner Bros. Discovery announced plans to build the largest ever “Harry Potter Studio Tour” in Shanghai in 2027 — surpassing previous parks in London and Tokyo with a span of 53,000 square meters, per CNN.
Warner Bros. called the theme park “the first tour of its kind in China,“ noting that it will take visitors about a half a day to enjoy everything the tour has to offer.