Kapok flower 'horse' adds fun to spring in Shenzhen

Shenzheners won’t even let fallen flowers go to waste.

Recently, a “red horse” made from thousands of kapok flowers on the lawn of Jingmi Community Park in Futian District went viral on social media. It’s not a sculpture, and it’s not an AI-generated image. It’s made by actually placing the flowers together one by one. Under the sunlight, the vibrant red is dazzling.

The kapok “horse” goes viral online. Photo from Xiaohongshu user @蓝点蓝

Netizens’ comments are even more perfect: “Whoever sees this, may you get off work immediately!” “May you get rich overnight!”

The “red horse” was actually a collaborative creation that lasted for seven hours, with every passing resident playing a part.

The initiator, a Mr. Lan, is an ordinary Shenzhen citizen. It all started in 2024, the Year of the Dragon, when he was struck by a whim and used fallen kapok flowers to create a dragon. That became his annual ritual for spring. Last year, he created a snake; this year, it's a horse.

Starting at 9 a.m., Lan and two friends began “drafting” on a lawn in the park. Then, something magical happened. A passing child, clutching a big armful of freshly picked flowers, ran over: “Big brother, here are some flowers for you!” An elderly woman taking a stroll silently handed over the petals she was holding.

Shenzhen residents are co-creating the “horse painting.” Photo from Shenzhen Special Zone Daily

The park’s sanitation worker not only helped clear the area but also pulled out her phone: “I still have the video of you guys making the dragon last year saved!”

Some netizens, having seen the post online, gathered flowers from other parks and brought them over to help.

One participating resident joked, “This ‘horse’ was made with the kapok we were planning to take home for soup. Figuratively speaking, we traded a bowl of dampness-clearing soup for a whole year of good luck.”

In Guangdong, the older generation regards the kapok flower as a springtime remedy for clearing dampness. In the hands of young people, it becomes free paint to create a romantic memory of spring.

So, next time you see flower petals all over the ground in a park, don’t just walk by. Crouch down, spend five minutes, and create something.