An upcoming film's trailer has caught huge attention on China's social media platforms, with many netizens dubbing the short video as "best commercial video of the year".
The 5-minute clip promotes the upcoming animated film Peppa Celebrates Chinese New Year, which is set to hit big screens on Feb 5, the first day of Chinese New Year and the first day of the Chinese zodiac's Year of the Pig.
The trailer revolves around the question "Who is Peppa?" and tells a touching story that highlights Chinese families.
The story is set in a remote rural area in China. An elderly man named Li Yubao asked his grandson on the phone what gifts he wished for the Spring Festival. Unfortunately, due to the unstable cellular reception, the only clue he got was the word "Peppa". Determined to please his grandson, Li begins an interesting journey to uncover the mystery of "Peppa".
With the help of his neighbors, Li gathers enough clues for the puzzle. Feeling confident about his answer, the man makes a Peppa Pig with old metal parts. It's a rustic replica out of his own imagination, and the result certainly surprises everyone, especially his grandson.
At the end of the story, Li realizes that Peppa is actually a cartoon figure. He decides to watch the animated film with the whole family during the holiday season.
The short video encourages people working away from their hometowns to come back more often and spend some quality time with their families during the Chinese New Year holiday.
"After watching the trailer, I want to go to my hometown immediately. I have not seen my family for almost one year, and I miss them very much," said Sina Weibo user Yu Xiaojia.
"Though it is a short commercial video, I have to say it really touches the bottom of my heart, as family bonds play an irreplaceable role in Chinese people's daily lives," said another Sina Weibo user Fan Xiaobing1924.
Many people out there seem to appreciate this story, whether its humor or heartwarming family values, because the video had 97,295 views on YouTube as of Tuesday.
Additionally, the video has racked up "over 1.5 billion views in less than one week" on social media overseas, according to Animation Magazine.
The storyline of the film was written to directly correlate with Chinese New Year and incorporates some of the hallmarks of the celebration including dragon dancing, making dumplings, and traditional Chinese costumes. The Peppa Pig movie will also introduce some new characters, for instance, the adorable Panda Twins.
The animated film is co-produced by British film and TV company Entertainment One and Alibaba Pictures.
"The Peppa Pig series emphasizes the importance of family bonds, which will deeply resonate with Chinese audiences," said Zhang Dapeng, director of the film, adding the film is a good opportunity to promote cultural exchange between the East and the West.
Peppa Pig, the television cartoon show that has been a hit with younger children around the world, has taken China by storm since 2018.
Earlier this year, Peppa was featured in an illustration book on Chinese New Year, where all characters dressed in festive Chinese costumes and celebrated the Spring Festival.
Readings and stuffed toys surrounding this British franchise are wildly popular with both Chinese children and adults. On the internet, the Peppa Pig buzz is even bigger.
Countless memes, jokes, and videos have gone viral. People dub it in different dialects, and many have coined slang phrases. It's still a trendy thing to show off your Peppa Pig merchandise.
Actually, with the Lunar New Year holidays approaching, there is a particular emphasis on reuniting with family and being together with loved ones. After all, family bonds are the most significant thing in Chinese people's hearts.
Some days ago, a wholesome meme featuring "four generations" also attracted enormous attention in China, and around the world.
In Chinese culture, it is common for multiple generations of a single family to live together under one roof.
The "four generations" meme begins with a child walking into a room and calling back to their parent, who in turn walks into the same room and calls back to their parent and so forth until four generations of family members have entered the room.
The meme started from Douyin, Chinese version of the popular video app TikTok, and now families from around the world, including the Philippines, India, and the US, have all shared their own "four generations" videos online.
Many foreign online users have commented that the videos are the most heartwarming ones they have seen in recent years, as it makes them miss their own grandparents.
Contact the writer at liwenrui@chinadaily.com.cn
