Draco Malfoy, one of Harry Potter\u2019s most recognisable villains, has become an unlikely lunar new year icon across China, as fans embrace the character for the year of the horse.<\/p>\n
In Mandarin, Malfoy\u2019s name is transliterated as \u201cm\u01ce \u011br f\u00fa\u201d. The first character means \u201chorse\u201d while the final character, \u201cf\u00fa\u201d, means \u201cfortune\u201d or \u201cblessing\u201d \u2013 a powerful symbol found across lunar new year celebrations.<\/p>\n
Put together, Malfoy\u2019s name can be loosely read as \u201chorse fortune\u201d, making him an unexpectedly auspicious figure for the year ahead.<\/p>\n
The wordplay has sparked a wave of memes, fan art, decorations and themed merchandise across Chinese social media. Images of a young Malfoy \u2013 played by the English actor Tom Felton \u2013 smiling from red lunar new year posters and riding cartoon horses<\/a> have appeared<\/a> on refrigerators, in office spaces<\/a> as well as shopping malls alike.<\/p>\n Allow Instagram content?<\/p>\n This article includes content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click ‘Allow and continue’.<\/p>\n Felton seems to have noticed the frenzy. On Tuesday, the 38-year-old actor, who recently reprised<\/a> his role in the Broadway production Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, reposted on his Instagram<\/a> story a photo of his face beaming from a red banner in a Chinese shopping mall.<\/p>\n \u201cMagical awakening that attracts abundant wealth,\u201d said the Mandarin characters on the banner.<\/p>\n The surge of Malfoy mania comes as millions across the country prepare for the lunar new year, which begins later this month. Since the launch of Chinese versions of JK Rowling\u2019s Harry Potter series in 2000, approximately 200m copies of the books have been sold in China, according to<\/a> CGTN.<\/p>\n Last year, Warner Brothers Discovery announced<\/a> that it was going to build a Harry Potter studio tour in Shanghai, larger than<\/a> the franchise\u2019s existing studio tours in London and Tokyo.<\/p>\n Calling the experience the \u201cfirst tour of its kind in China\u201d, the project, which will span 53,000 sq metres, is expected to open in 2027.<\/p>\n