Ushering in Children’s Day on Friday, internationally popular cartoon Peppa Pig appeared on the number 555 Yangtze bus. With the bus all dressed up in merchandise, Peppa gave away toys and played with children.
After their vehicular debut, Peppa and her younger brother George then made their way over to Nanjing Railway Station to further spread the love. In addition to gifts and cuddles, George and Peppa are said to have spent time teaching children about traffic safety.
Perhaps their arrival on Nanjing’s public transport system is more than just a nod to children’s day; rather in part a larger marketing ploy, designed to help to pave the way for the debut of Peppa Pig Live!, which will be coming to Nanjing theatres in the next 6 months.
“The light-hearted children’s drama Peppa Pig Live! began its China tour on 30 May at Shanghai Lyceum Theatre. Animation superstar Peppa Pig, or Xiaozhu Peiqi in Mandarin, will jump off the screen for the first time to interact with Chinese fans on stage”, announced Xu Wei in a press released by Shine.
“Since its debut in 2004, the British animated series has been broadcast in over 180 countries and regions. China Central Television first introduced the series in 2015. The cute little pig and her family and friends now have a huge fan base in China”.
Recent hype the world over has centered around China’s video streaming website Douyin’s decision to abruptly pull the Peppa Pig series from its listings. While there has since been much speculation for the reason; “gangster” references and “sexual” connotations seem to have topped the list. The former is likely as a result of the Chinese name for Peppa’s father; Daddy Pig translates as “爸爸猪” which is a likely name for a head of a Hong Kong triad.
After the program’s widely publicised ban on Chinese television it comes as a surprise that the live show is now touring the country, in effect bringing more awareness to the program. Whatever the real reasons, children across China and here in Nanjing are sure to be revelling this summer in Peppa bliss.
