‘Racked their brains for money’: ice cream cones in China dressed in traditional skirts and hairpins go viral but gimmick raises hygiene concerns
- Known as ‘ma mian qun’ in Chinese, horse-face skirts are traditional garments – dating back to Song dynasty – popular for practical style
- Crowds of people turn up at store, with pictures and videos taken trending online, causing envy and discussion on social media
An ice cream shop in China has been decorating its cones with traditional Chinese skirts and hairpins, becoming a trending story on mainland social media in the process.
The unidentified store in Jiangsu province in eastern China started dressing its ice cream cones in horse-face skirts and hairpins as a marketing gimmick to boost business, Bailu Video reported.
Horse-face skirt or ma mian qun is a traditional Chinese attire that dates back to the Song dynasty (960-1279), it became popular during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1636-1912) dynasties mainly for its functionality and aesthetic style.
The week-long promotion drew in crowds of customers who shared photos and videos on Chinese social media platforms.
“It’s really funny! I see beautiful ice cream. Even ice creams wear horse-face skirts now,” one person wrote in a post on the Xiaohongshu platform.
Another person on WeChat said that she would happily spend the extra 28 yuan (US$3.90) for a skirt-covered cone because of its cultural appeal.