Kaylah Walton
During a casual outing in Hong Kong, Simone Biles experienced something that felt like it was lifted from a surreal fantasy, sending waves of intrigue across social media along with Jonathan Owens.
The decorated Olympian was enjoying the sights on her recent trip to Asia when she came across what seemed to be a collection of ornamental dolls artfully arranged along the pavement. However, these were not your typical stuffed animals.
Biles couldn’t resist capturing the strange encounter, sharing a brief video on her Instagram Stories with a playful inquiry that matched the atmosphere: “Cute or creepy?” Her audience, predictably, had plenty to say.
Simone Biles grapples with the unsettling dolls
The dolls, which seemed to embody mystical Chinese sages or monks, exuded an oddly ethereal quality—though their expressions seemed locked between wisdom and dread. With their small, childlike frames and rigid postures, the dissonance with their facial expressions became even more unsettling. This mix of the tranquil and the bizarre created an enduring impression.
Feedback came flooding in. Some viewers described the dolls as “strangely cute,” while others confessed they found it hard to sleep after watching the video. One user remarked, “Absolutely not. Those are clearly haunted,” while another quipped, “This looks like the intro to a horror film where Simone is the sole survivor.”
It turns out these dolls are part of a cultural street art practice or spiritual display prevalent in certain areas of Hong Kong. They are typically utilized to pay tribute to legendary figures or ancestors. However, their intentionally exaggerated features serve to repel malevolent spirits… an approach that, ironically, gives them an appearance straight from a ghostly narrative.
