China Animals

Palace Museum Says Goodbye to Forbidden City Celebrity Cat Baidian

The most beloved stray cat of the Forbidden City has suddenly passed away.

Published

8 years ago

July 2, 2018

Manya Koetse

Baidian by pet photographer Arthur Yang @宠物摄影师-克查 / follow on Instagram: roulong

Baidian, the famous red-haired stray cat from the Forbidden City that predicted World Cup winners, has passed away on Monday. Palace Museum staff thanks netizens for their care and support.

The “imperial” stray cat Baidian became an online hit recently when staff from the Palace Museum, housed in the Forbidden City, started posted pictures of him ‘predicting’ World Cup winners.

The cat was the first Forbidden City stray to even get its own Weibo…

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Manya Koetse

Manya Koetse is a sinologist, writer, and public speaker specializing in China’s social trends, digital culture, and online media ecosystems. She founded What’s on Weibo in 2013 and now runs the Eye on Digital China newsletter. Learn more at manyakoetse.com or follow her on X, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

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