Overview

• Social media posts of the Labubu doll at Highgate Cemetery have amassed over 10 million views across platforms since late June.
• Pop Mart’s blind-box scarcity model and celebrity endorsements have driven a global Labubu craze that echoes the artificial desire Karl Marx critiqued.
• Highgate Cemetery visitors have long left letters and tokens at Marx’s 3.7-metre monument, transforming memorial rituals into a form of pop-culture homage.
• Liu Yuhae’s handwritten letter praising Marx’s influence in contemporary socialist thought has been praised for its sincerity amid the meme frenzy.
• The person who placed the Labubu doll remains unidentified, fueling ongoing international coverage of the clash between pop collectibles and ideological tribute.