“Some people see four cute cartoon horses.
Others see the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Normal reaction: ‘Nice mascot.’
Internet reaction: ‘Biblical prophecy.’
Official reaction: Activate emergency response. Deploy AI. Control narratives.

I’m not saying someone inside the system reads Revelation…
I’m just saying this memo exists.

Pure coincidence.
Obviously.”

Recommendations for Emergency Intervention Regarding the Major Risk of External Communication Surrounding the 2026 Spring Festival Gala’s “Four Auspicious Horses” in the Year of the Horse

⸻

Recently, the official auspicious mascots for the 2026 CCTV Spring Festival Gala (Year of the Horse) — the four cartoon horses named “Qi Qi,” “Lu Lu,” “Chi Chi,” and “Cheng Cheng” — were formally released.

This group of four horses adopts a design scheme in white, gray-blue, black, and brown. Among them, the white horse features prominently exposed teeth, while the gray-blue horse has wing-like structures on its back. This visual design bears a high degree of resemblance to the “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse”, a symbol of end-times catastrophe in Western religious culture.

This similarity has already triggered automatic associations and malicious reinterpretations on overseas social media platforms. Given that the content has now been globally released and cannot be withdrawn, and considering that the Spring Festival Gala serves as a national-level external communication window covering more than 200 countries, it is highly susceptible to exploitation by anti-China forces, who may use it to fabricate so-called “cultural insinuation” attacks, thereby seriously disrupting overseas united front and public opinion work.

It is therefore recommended to immediately activate a cross-departmental emergency response mechanism led by the Central United Front Work Department, and to adopt a three-pronged approach consisting of:
1.Proactive narrative interpretation
2.Symbolic counter-framing
3.AI-based intervention

These measures should be used to maximally neutralize negative public sentiment and prevent further escalation.

At the same time, it is recommended to conduct accountability investigations into failures in the design review process, strictly guarding against internal negligence or risks of ideological infiltration.

点击图片查看原图

点击图片查看原图