Hang Hang, Viral Mullet Lion, Dies at 17; Statue Planned

The Internet’s Most Immaculate Fringe Will Be Cast In Bronze

Guangzhou Zoo in China’s Guangdong province has announced that its internet-famous lion Hang Hang—also known as Ahang—has died at the age of 17.

The beloved white lion passed peacefully at the zoo on July 14, 2026. News of his death was shared the following day, prompting an outpouring of memories from visitors who had come to know him as Guangzhou’s gentle, sun-loving king with thee most committed fringe in the animal kingdom.

Hang Hang became a viral sensation in 2022 when photos of his unusually straight mane spread online. Depending on the weather and his personal grooming decisions, the look could shift from blunt bangs to slicked-back lounge singer to a magnificently accidental 1980s mullet.

The hairstyle became so famous that zoo staff had to publicly deny giving him a trim. Their explanation was far better anyway: Guangzhou’s humid weather fluffed the mane, while Hang Hang’s habit of licking his paws and brushing the hair helped create that suspiciously salon-ready finish.

Born in Hangzhou in 2009, he was named after the city and moved to Guangzhou Zoo in 2015. There, he developed a close connection with generations of local visitors long before the internet discovered his hair.

The zoo remembered Hang Hang as gentle by nature, fond of basking in the sunshine and even playing in the rain. His mane may have earned the memes, but it was that calm personality and familiar presence that turned him into far more than a passing viral attraction.

Online admirers affectionately called him the “bangs lion” and compared his look to everyone from a glam-rock frontman to a mop-topped Beatle. The jokes were endless, but so was the affection behind them. Hang Hang looked less like a carefully styled celebrity than a creature who had simply awakened knowing his angles.

Guangzhou Zoo plans to design a commemorative bronze statue in his honor, allowing future visitors to remember the companionship and joy he brought to the city. Naturally, the sculpture will have one extremely important artistic responsibility: that fringe must be correct.

Hang Hang leaves behind a rare kind of legacy. He became globally recognizable because of one funny photograph, but he remained loved because people returned to see him, watched his mane change and made him part of their memories of the zoo.

Watch Hang Hang And His Famous Mullet Mane

The short video revisits Guangzhou Zoo’s viral “bangs lion” and the naturally dramatic hairstyle that made him famous around the world.

Source: Guangzhou Zoo; Global Times; official zoo footage.