Chinese influencer builds mini underground station for his cats in 4 months, wins internet praise
A Chinese influencer stunned social media after building a handmade underground railway station for cats.
A handicraft influencer from central China has captured attention online after spending four months constructing a miniature underground railway station for his cats.
(Also read: Chinese boy, 11, makes $550 a month selling milk tea, lauded for ‘business sense’)
Xing Zhilei, a DIY creator from Henan province, has more than 1.2 million followers on mainland social media platforms, according to a report by South China Morning Post. On August 16, he unveiled the fan-inspired project, which immediately went viral.
The tiny station looks astonishingly authentic, featuring a scaled-down platform, safety doors, advertising boards and even fully functioning escalators. A miniature train pulls up neatly as the cats step on and off, while the carriages are fitted with seats and handrails.
Take a look here at the clip:
{{/usCountry}}Take a look here at the clip:
{{/usCountry}}Viral success on Chinese social media
{{/usCountry}}Viral success on Chinese social media
{{/usCountry}}Within days of posting the video, the views surged past 100 million. Some users initially suspected the footage was artificially generated, but Xing shared behind-the-scenes clips proving that every detail was handmade.
{{/usCountry}}Within days of posting the video, the views surged past 100 million. Some users initially suspected the footage was artificially generated, but Xing shared behind-the-scenes clips proving that every detail was handmade.
{{/usCountry}}“Whenever a problem came up, we just fixed it. My resolve never wavered, and after many failures the station finally came together,” Xing explained.
The whimsical names of the stations added to the charm. The line includes stops such as Cat Town, Catnip Hill and Moonwatcher Terrace.
Creative hurdles and unique solutions
The project was built inside a vast, empty factory. Xing and his small team faced countless challenges, including synchronising the train and platform doors and ensuring the escalators worked smoothly.
Even after completion, keeping the space tidy was not easy. The team often bumped their heads on the miniature structures, so robotic vacuums and a mini helper bot were enlisted for cleaning duties.
Xing lives with his wife, their young son, a Shiba Inu dog and two cats named Not Bad and Pretty Good. He said the cats quickly adapted to their new underground playground.
Earlier creations of Cat Town
As per SCMP, Xing first went viral in 2023 for creating a luxury flat for his cats inside his wife’s pet shop. The elaborate design included bedrooms, bathrooms, a kitchen with a working stove and even a miniature lift.
Over time, he expanded the project into a full Cat Town, complete with a cinema, supermarket, billiards hall and foot spa. Each facility was a fully scaled-down working replica.
In his videos, Xing has explained that he taught himself skills such as 3D modelling, carpentry and welding. He said, “I have loved making things since childhood, and this work still gives me both a sense of achievement and a spark of childhood joy.”
