Small, toothy and plush, this is not your average toy. To some, the wide-eyed creature with a devilish grin looks downright creepy. To others, it's irresistibly cute.

Meet Labubu, the quirky little troublemaker from Chinese collectibles retailer Pop Mart. Created by Hong Kong illustrator Kasing Lung, Labubu is part of its "THE MONSTERS" series, first designed by Pop Mart in 2019.

Today, Labubu has transcended its niche status as a collector's item in Asia, and gained a devoted global fan base. It is not only trending on TikTok, but also sparks overnight queues from New York City to Paris, where fans clamor for limited-edition blind boxes.

For some, Labubu is a design object. For others, it's a pocket-sized emotional support gremlin. For many, it's their first introduction to a rising wave of Chinese pop culture (CPOP) that feels fresh, playful… and deeply relatable.

From sci-fi epics to mobile games and hand-drawn animations, Chinese intellectual properties (IPs) are stepping onto the global stage, drawing legions of fans. These creative works are making themselves at home in the international mainstream through immersive storytelling, bold aesthetics and a youthful voice.

Pop culture IPs are reshaping the global narrative and international expression of Chinese culture from the Gen Z perspective, said Gao Anming, Editor in Chief of China International Communications Group (CICG), at the "CPOPwave" Chinese Pop Culture IP Night held in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, on May 28.

The CPOPwave exhibition, running from May 28 to June 10, showcased innovation and innovative ecosystems built around IPs. It spotlighted 20 of China's most influential IPs across novels, films, games, animation and designer toys. Highlights included Labubu, Honkai: Star Rail, blockbuster sci-fi titles like The Wandering Earth and the genre-defining game Black Myth: Wukong.

The exhibition was jointly organized by China Media Group's New Media Center, the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies under CICG and the Publicity Department of Hangzhou.

"These IPs enable the world to decode Chinese culture through new trends, understand Eastern philosophy through empathy, and embrace shared human values through cultural resonance," Gao added.

An international icon

Labubu isn't just cute. U.S. financial services firm JPMorgan recently named her—yes, Labubu is a female—a rising super IP, and positioned Pop Mart, whose global reach has spanned over 90 countries and regions through e-commerce platforms, as a leader in China's rapidly growing licensed merchandise market.

The global craze for Labubu was ignited last April, when Lalisa Manobal (popularly known as just "Lisa"), a member of K-pop girl group Blackpink, posted a photo with the doll on her Instagram. This sparked a worldwide obsession, especially among her Gen Z fans, who quickly embraced the quirky mascot. Since then, Labubu has become a much sought-after accessory, spotted dangling from the handbags of American and European celebrities like Rihanna and Dua Lipa, boosting its status as a trendy must-have.

Another key to Labubu's appeal is its blind box packaging, retailing at $21.99 each. "It's a blind box. So you don't know what's inside... It's hard to find all the collectibles, especially the rare 'secret' ones," Lisa explained in an interview with U.S. Vanity Fair magazine published last November. This sense of mystery adds an exciting touch to the collecting game, driving fans to keep buying until their sets are complete.

This year will celebrate Labubu's 10th birthday. The IP from China has become mature enough to connect with audiences around the world by releasing exclusive editions featuring different cultural elements and contemporary trends.

In France, exclusive Louvre-inspired Labubu fridge magnets—featuring reinterpretations of the museum's most famous artworks—are only available at the Pop Mart store near the museum, where tourists frequently buy them in bulk as souvenirs.

Meanwhile, in Singapore, a Merlion-themed Labubu—the Merlion, a mythical creature that combines a lion and a mermaid, being the national emblem—has become a must-buy keepsake, demonstrating how the brand adapts creatively to different cultures while maintaining its unique charm.

"You can't find them at retail anymore as they sell out in seconds. And you have to pay resellers double price," Chen Si, a Chinese fan living in Italy, told Chinese newspaper National Business Daily. She described scenes at a Milan Pop Mart store where fans lined up as early as 3 a.m. to get limited editions. "The locals here are even crazier about it than overseas Chinese," she added. "I even saw a stylish Italian grandmother, fully dressed in couture, queuing up. She tried to buy two dolls but was politely refused."

In today's collector culture, Labubu has become a form of social currency, symbolizing taste, emotional identity and, sometimes, status. Fans customize, dress up and photograph their Labubus, while TikTok and Instagram overflow with unboxing videos, fashion edits and playful storytelling. Some fans resell their dolls at double or triple the original price, turning blind boxes into investment opportunities.

Chen Rui, an associate professor with the School of Journalism at Communication University of China, sees Labubu's success as part of a broader shift in Chinese IP design and fan culture. "It's a combination of market forces and grassroots enthusiasm," Chen told National Business Daily. "Strong business backing meets passionate fan sharing on social media, which keeps the trend alive and growing."

A dazzling film star

Labubu has become a symbol of China's rising IP power, and it is not the only player on the stage.

At the forefront of China's IP surge stands Ne Zha: Demon Child Conquers the Sea, also known as Ne Zha 2, the long-anticipated sequel to the 2019 animated hit Ne Zha. The sequel has stormed global cinemas and made box office history since its Chinese release in January. Drawing from ancient Chinese mythology and reimagined with stunning animation and emotional depth, the film has become the highest-grossing animated movie in global history, having grossed a whopping grand total of over $2 billion at the global box office.

Its international run has also been significant, bolstered by high audience ratings on platforms like IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes. For example, released across 770 theaters in 48 U.S. states and in 10 Canadian provinces, the film shattered two-decade-old records for Chinese-language films in North America, even prompting midnight showings to accommodate demand.

What powers this phenomenal success isn't just visual spectacle, but cultural and emotional depth. Crafted in over five years by a team of 4,000 animators from 138 studios, the film features nearly 12,000 visual and special effects. But beyond technical prowess, it's the soulful storytelling—rooted in traditional values like familial bonds, mentorship and the yearning for equality—that has resonated with audiences everywhere.

Elements of Chinese heritage are seamlessly woven into the film's design and soundscape: from the underwater palaces modeled on classical Chinese architecture to a soundtrack featuring ethnic instruments and UNESCO-listed folk traditions like Dong songs and Mongolian throat singing. These touches offer global viewers an immersive entry into China's rich aesthetic universe.

"The profound nourishment of Chinese culture is what gives Chinese film and television works the confidence to captivate both domestic audiences and international viewers," Zhang Yiwu, a cultural studies professor at Peking University, told Xinhua News Agency.

Gaming without borders 

While Ne Zha 2 showcases the power of Chinese mythology on the big screen, another standout example of cultural resonance comes from Shanghai-based game developer miHoYo. Its latest title, Honkai: Star Rail, released for both PC and mobile platforms, has garnered widespread acclaim.

On its pre-download day, April 23, 2023, the sci-fi adventure game topped the free app charts in 113 countries and regions on Apple's App Store. Within two months of its release, it surpassed miHoYo's previous global hit, Genshin Impact, becoming the highest-grossing Chinese game overseas.

"Both games are well-polished and rich in content, but Star Rail feels more lightweight and relaxing," Zhang Peng, a player of both games in Shanghai, told Beijing Review. "Its auto-battle system makes it especially enjoyable for newcomers. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for solid storytelling, quality and cultural creativity."

Set in a space-fantasy universe, Honkai: Star Rail features a layered narrative that blends Chinese cultural motifs with futuristic sci-fi themes. While its settings incorporate elements from numerous global cultures, ranging from architecture to daily life, the heart of the story remains deeply rooted in Chinese philosophy. Concepts like "putting people first" and "sacrificing personal interests for the greater good" echo traditional Chinese philosophies that have shaped the nation's cultural psyche for centuries.

According to An Chengnan, the game's lead producer, the team's aim was never to recreate historical civilizations in a literal way, but to build a rich, imaginative universe informed by different cultural archetypes.

In terms of storytelling, the game aim to present heartfelt, emotionally resonant narratives, while also sprinkling in plenty of references to Chinese pop culture. Chinese players often recognize these references with a smile. It also adapts cultural jokes and references when localizing the game in other countries and regions, replacing Chinese memes with locally relevant ones, so that overseas players can feel the same sense of warmth and connection. "Our goal is to bring joy through storytelling," An said at the CPOPwave event.

"Players from different cultural backgrounds may engage with those themes differently, so we try to strike a balance. From the beginning, our vision was one of inclusiveness," he continued, adding the game team believes "games have no borders."

CPOP and beyond

Yuan Pengfei, co-founder of animation company China Year, described CPOP as a defining cultural symbol for China's younger generations. "It's deeply rooted in tradition yet thriving through modern, youthful creativity," he said at the CPOPwave exhibition. 

"At the heart of IP development, we have two main goals: to create content that resonates with young people and to help the world see the real China, through its technology and culture," Yuan said.

"In today's digital era, cultural content is primarily shared through visuals and videos, emphasizing interaction and participation," Liu Chen, an associate professor at the School of Journalism and Communication at Hunan University in central China's Hunan Province, told Xinhua News Agency. "This requires showing traditional Chinese culture in popular modern, digital forms that resonate with broad audiences."

Many of China's most successful cultural exports, whether they be games, online micro dramas or trendy consumer goods, are backed by strong market-oriented operations. Liu suggested cultural players going global create original IPs with Chinese cultural DNA, and convert cultural value into industrial value to build a sustainable cultural export model, balancing social and economic value.

"We aspire to create works that combine deep cultural meaning with commercial viability, but achieving that balance is the hardest part," Ji Fangfang, an associate researcher at the Institute of Journalism and Communication at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told Xinhua.

She emphasized the need for diversity in creative spaces and genres. "Only when there is a large and varied supply of works can we begin to explore the sweet spot between cultural resonance and commercial success." BR

(Print Edition: Local Roots, Global Reach)

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon

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