First Spring Festival Gala-themed pop-up store opens at Gangxia North Metro Station

Video by Zhen Jianhong

A pop-up store featuring the official mascots for the 2026 Spring Festival Gala — marking the arrival of the Year of the Horse on the lunar calendar — along with related merchandise, has opened at Gangxia North Metro Station in Futian District.

Running through the Lantern Festival, the pop-up store — titled “Galloping into the City of Miracles” — brings the Spring Festival Gala’s key visual identity and mascots to life through interactive installations, including a plush toy display wall, a merry-go-round installation, and a message wall.

Yang Yahui, a Shenzhen resident, told media outlets that she stopped by the store despite being in a hurry to get to work. “I love all the mascots on display here,” she said. “They convey best wishes for Shenzhen to gallop into a promising new year.”

The mascots — featuring a set of four horses — were unveiled by China Media Group (CMG) in Beijing on Thursday. Three of the designs draw inspiration from iconic horse figures in Chinese art history, including bronzeware from the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046-771 B.C.) and the Han Dynasty (202 B.C.-A.D. 220), as well as Tang sancai (tri-colored glazed pottery) from the Tang Dynasty (618-907). 

The fourth mascot is modeled on Przewalski’s horse, the world’s only remaining truly wild horse species, whose population has rebounded to around 900 in nature reserves across Northwest China following successful reintroduction efforts since 1985.

Adorned with traditional Chinese art motifs, the mascots blend the timeless beauty of China’s traditional culture with the vibrant spirit of the new era, conveying wishes for swift success and a bright, flourishing future.

The store also features IP-based cultural and creative products themed on the 2026 Spring Festival Gala, which were launched by CMG alongside the mascots Thursday.

“The products currently on sale include Chinese festive porcelain, which we hope customers can take home to share a warm and joyful Spring Festival with their families,” said Qin Ruojun, sales lead of the pop-up store. “We also offer plush toys of the mascots, allowing visitors to experience the warmth and festive spirit in a more personal way.”

Shenzhen Metro Resources Development Co., Ltd. signed an agreement with subsidiaries of CMG to become one of the group’s partners in developing IP-based products and projects related to the 2026 Spring Festival Gala, as well as other cultural, creative and tourism initiatives.

Visitors admire plush toys at a pop-up store featuring the official mascots of the 2026 Spring Festival Gala, which opened yesterday at Gangxia North Metro Station in Futian District. Photos by Wang Haolan

A glance at the pop-up store at Gangxia North Metro Station in Futian District.