ETYMOLOGY
The Grass Mud Horse phenomenon began in 2009 during China's 'Green Dam' censorship initiative. Netizens created an elaborate mythology: these fictional creatures inhabit the 'Má Lè Gē Bì' grasslands (a homophonic pun on a vulgar expression), battling their natural predators - 'River Crabs' (héxiè, sounding like 'harmony', the official term for internet censorship).
A pivotal moment came with the 2010 parody video 'Grass Mud Horse Song' on YouTube, featuring alpacas (visually representing the 'mythical' creature) singing to the tune of 'The Smurfs': 'On the vast and beautiful Má Lè Gē Bì, we Grass Mud Horses are lively and clever...'. This whimsical resistance spawned plush toys, online games, and even academic papers analyzing its cultural impact.
Interestingly, the meme's evolution mirrors China's digital cat-and-mouse game: as censors blocked 'cǎonímǎ', variants like 'grass-mud-horse' and emoji combinations 🦙💨🐎 emerged. Today it's recognized globally as a symbol of creative dissent, featured in exhibits like the Museum of Modern Art's 'Items: Is Fashion Modern?' as a representation of digital-age folklore.