The mystery of the disappearing mailbox antlers
Print Edition
A mailbox in the Bund area became an unlikely star overnight after Chinese pop idol Lu Han, whose surname means “deer” in Chinese, posted a picture of himself leaning on it on the Internet on April 8, drawing legions of his young fans to the spot to queue up to replicate the snapshot.
Spotting an opportunity, postal officials decided to cash in on the unusual frenzy of interest in a mailbox by decorating it with fake yellow antlers and issuing commemorative postcards.
However, fans who thought a unique photo opportunity awaited them when they showed up at the mailbox on Zhongshan Rd E1 yesterday morning were deeply disappointed to find that the antlers, which had been placed on it by postal staff on Tuesday night, had been removed.
“I came here to take a photo with the mailbox again, as I heard there would be antlers on it today, diehard Lu Han fan Xiao Ya, 18, told Shanghai Daily. “Today is Lu Han’s birthday, so I think it would be a great way to celebrate it.”
Li Qing, manager of China Post’s innovation department, said the city’s urban management authority and the police had told staffers that the antlers violated regulations. “We didn’t realize that it required special approval,” she said. “However, as the glue was too strong, staffers failed to remove it from the mailbox then.”
But they disappeared anyway, thanks to an unknown person who ripped them off in the middle of the night.
The postcards, however, proved to be a great success. Nearly 8,000 of the commemorative limited edition cards were sold yesterday for 5 yuan (77 US cents) each.
China Post said it is planning similar mailboxes in future.
“We will continue to unveil more themed mailboxes in the city,” said Li. “But future decorations will be in line with regulations.”
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