Lil X, Elon Musk's 6-year-old son, became a viral sensation on Chinese social media after appearing in Beijing wearing a Chinese-style silk vest and carrying a handmade tiger head cloth bag embroidered by native artisans from the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, driving local brand sales up tenfold overnight.
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and part of the U.S. delegation visiting China alongside President Donald Trump, appeared at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing with his 6-year-old son, X Æ A-Xii, known online as Lil X, who quickly became a viral topic on Chinese social media.
Widely shared images and videos showed Lil X wearing dark trousers, a white shirt, and a silk vest embroidered with floral and bird patterns in Chinese style. The most notable item was the crossbody "tiger head bag," a traditional Chinese handicraft.
The bag is produced by Guilin Weiran Cultural Creative, based in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China, specializing in handcrafted cultural heritage work made by minority ethnic embroiderers in the area.
A brand representative explained that the bag draws inspiration from "tiger head embroidery," a Chinese folk art believed to protect children from evil. The toad on the tiger's tongue symbolizes attracting good fortune, while the butterfly on the nose represents increasing luck.
Each bag takes about one week to handcraft, with only around 100 items in stock. After Lil X’s photo was published, sales soared over ten times overnight, quickly selling out the product.
Chinese media reported that the bag retails for over 300 yuan, about 1,500 baht, and immediately became a popular item on online platforms.
Many internet users praised Lil X's outfit as cute and respectful of Chinese culture, viewing it as a perfect blend of contemporary fashion and traditional Chinese folk art.
The viral trend intensified when a social media user commented on Musk's son, to which the Tesla and SpaceX billionaire replied in Chinese, "My son is learning Mandarin."
Lil X has frequently appeared with his father at major global events, including visits to the White House and meetings with various world leaders such as India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Many see the boy’s presence as enhancing Elon Musk’s approachable image in global political and business arenas.