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Current Affairs

Musk son’s viral tiger-head bag shines light on China’s US$14.8b heritage e-commerce

Sales of intangible heritage products are on the rise, highlighted by the online frenzy sparked by Elon Musk’s six-year-old son Little X wearing a Chinese-style…

By Samantha Johnson / July 19, 2026
Sales of intangible heritage products are on the rise, highlighted by the online frenzy sparked by Elon Musk’s six-year-old son Little X wearing a Chinese-style silk jacket and carrying a tiger-head bag in May, when they accompanied US President Donald Trump on a state visit to Beijing.
The surge is part of a wider boom, with industry data showing intangible cultural heritage and traditional handicraft goods had reached an annual transaction value of 100 billion yuan (US$14.8 billion) across major e-commerce platforms Taobao and Tmall last year.

More than 7,000 pieces of the bag, priced at 398 yuan each, had been sold so far, according to its producer, inspiring others to try to cash in on China’s cultural icons.

“This success introduced our brand to more consumers, showing that traditional cultural elements can be youthful, cute and fit for daily life,” said He Jiliang, partner at Yestee (Ya Xiaoqi) Handmade. “Sales for hats, mobile phone bags and other accessories have also been lifted.”

The firm, based in Guilin city, in China’s southern Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, produces the viral bag using complex techniques and heavy handwork – each piece takes a week to make. Yestee has operated an online store for 19 years on Taobao.

Complex techniques and heavy handwork go into making every Yestee tiger-head bag. Photo: Handout
Complex techniques and heavy handwork go into making every Yestee tiger-head bag. Photo: Handout

“We hope to turn traditional cultural icons like lion dances, dragon dances, tiger heads and Peking Opera into products favoured by young people for daily use and sharing,” He said.

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