Plush revolution-themed toys bring history to life for young Chinese

NANCHANG, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Pistols, grenades and broadswords -- once symbols of war and revolution -- are now appearing in a new form: palm-sized plush toys. These reimagined weapons have found popularity online in China, sparking interest among younger generations.

At the Nanchang Uprising Memorial Hall in east China's Jiangxi Province, young visitors line up to buy the soft toys, eager to pose for photos with their new souvenirs against the historic backdrop.

Among these visitors was a university student from Beijing surnamed Li. She bought a plush pistol and a plush bugle. "It's very meaningful and cute," Li said of her purchase.

"The plush material lowers the psychological barrier of the fearsome weapons," said Hao Shiqiang, head of the memorial hall's marketing department. "It is good to see that the toys align perfectly with the aesthetics of today's youth."

Since its first plush pistol was launched on Oct. 1 last year, the memorial hall has sold 82,500 revolution-themed plush items as of the end of June, generating nearly 3.47 million yuan (about 486,117 U.S. dollars) in revenue. The plush pistol has become the site's best-selling cultural product.

The popularity of these products is also boosting tourism. In the first half of 2025, the memorial hall recorded 1.44 million visits, which was a 13.4 percent year-on-year increase. During this year's winter holiday, visitors under the age of 30 rose by 28.6 percent compared to the same period last year.

Due to high demand and limited access to the main museum, the memorial hall has installed vending machines selling these toys at the site of former headquarters of the Nanchang Uprising.

"That site used to see fewer visitors. Since adding the machines, it welcomed over 60,000 visits in the first half of 2025," said Zhang Jiang, deputy director of the memorial hall.

These toy weapons are not an isolated success. In the revolutionary city of Jinggangshan, which is also in Jiangxi, a plush pendant modeled after the iconic oil lamp from Bajiao Tower has also gained attention.

"Plush products have strong market appeal and cultural resonance. They bring revolutionary culture to the public in a more relatable way," said Liu Wei, deputy general manager of the company that designed the plush pendant.

"This contrasting cuteness -- designing soft toys based on serious symbols -- taps into the consumer desire for novelty and emotional value," said Xiong Haifeng, an associate professor of the School of Cultural Industry Management at the Communication University of China. "It aligns with young people's trend of self-gratifying, emotionally driven consumption."

Emotional consumption is emerging as a new driver in China's consumer market. In 2024, Chinese toy-maker Pop Mart's line of plush toys saw a dramatic surge in revenue, reaching 2.83 billion yuan.

"We're seeing a shift from students passively receiving education on revolutionary history in classrooms to actively buying cultural products and learning the stories behind them," Xiong said. "The spirit of revolutionary culture remains unchanged, but its expression should evolve. Only through innovation can it stay vibrant in today's era." ■