A number of mainland Chinese social media posts were found offering to visit markets in Xinjiang and touch the sheep’s buttocks.
One tourist told Xiaohongshu that the animal’s buttocks are bouncy and soft, claiming that touching them is “incredibly addictive.”
In the video, one person can be seen stroking the sheep’s butt and saying, “This is a real stress reliever.”
“I flew five hours to Xinjiang just to pat a sheep’s butt – an experience I can’t get in a busy city,” said another.
Xiaohongshu also shares guides detailing the hospitality of shepherds, sheep breeds for better handling, and the best stroking angles and strength levels.
One online observer, @yuyuan, suggested tourists should appreciate the lambs’ silent agreement to bring joy to humans, saying: “Pat them gently.”
While most shepherds seem to accept the trend, some have expressed mixed feelings.
One person said that while they welcome the increase in tourism for its economic benefits, they are concerned about visitor numbers being too high.
“Too many people touching a sheep’s bottom can cause depression in the animal. People don’t care about the sheep, they’re only thinking about themselves,” he said.
Experts spoke to The Post about what’s driving the trend’s growing popularity.
“Young people are trying to escape the constraints of everyday life through unconventional means,” said Zhang Yong, a psychologist at Wuhan University of Technology in central China.
“However, it is unwise to blindly follow trends. Such behaviour reveals a lack of respect for animals and people should pursue other reasonable forms of entertainment,” he added.
Some online have also warned about possible health risks.
One online user, @xiaomarichang, posted a photo of himself petting a sheep on Xiaohongshu, and reported that he subsequently suffered from diarrhea and vomiting.
She was told that the sheep sheds were littered with excrement, which could be causing bacteria that is harmful to the farm’s animals.
The trend has sparked heated discussion on social media in mainland China.
“It doesn’t harm the sheep and just gently pats their bottoms, which the shepherds appreciate. It’s a fun way to relax,” one online observer wrote on Xiaohongshu.
“I feel sorry for these sheep, if they could speak they might feel harassed,” said another.
“I hope the local shepherds will impose rules, such as limiting the number of people who handle the sheep each day, so that the sheep don’t get too tired,” wrote another.
