Right line
Labubu, one of top Chinese toy maker Pop Mart's collectibles, has recently sparked an explosive online craze. Yangzhou is catching up by creating its own hit products.
Suchao mascot "Baoying". [Photo/WeChat account: yzs_lyj]
Modeled after Yangzhou baozi (steamed bun), the mascot "Baoying" (meaning "sure-to-win"), designed for the ongoing Jiangsu Football City League, also known as Suchao, transforms into an adorable football spirit. With a round baozi-shaped head and plump cheeks, it sports a Yangzhou jersey and stands astride a soccer ball.
Plush toys representing 13 Suchao teams. [Photo/WeChat account: yzs_lyj]
Similarly capitalizing on this grassroots soccer fervor, Yangzhou has also unveiled 13 plush toys, each designed with a cartoon image representing one of 13 Suchao teams across Jiangsu province.
Some are inspired by culinary icons like Yangzhou's salted goose, while others draw from historical legends. For example, the toy representing the Lianyungang team uses the image of Monkey King Sun Wukong, as the city is renowned for Mount Huaguo, said to be home to this legendary fictional figure.
A plush toy series inspired by Yangzhou zaocha. [Photo/WeChat account: yzs_lyj]
As a "UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy", Yangzhou is celebrating zaocha, a local morning ritual, with a plush toy series. It recreates four iconic dim-sums from its famed breakfast culture, featuring a crab-roe soup dumpling, a three-diced steamed bun, a multi-layer oil cake, and an emerald-colored shaomai (a traditonal Chinese steamed dumpling).
