When winter melons become summer coolers

(ECNS)-- Snuggling up to winter melons to beat the summer heat is going viral on Chinese social media.

On Xiaohongshu (RedNote), the quirky cooling hack has attracted millions of views, with pet owners joking, "Every cat deserves a winter melon this summer."

The trend has spread beyond cats to dogs, rabbits, and even Hong Tang, a tiger at the Shanghai Zoo, who has been given a giant winter melon to help stay cool.

It may look funny, but there's science behind it. Made up of about 95% water, winter melons stay cool for hours and naturally absorb body heat.

An everyday vegetable grown across more than 20 provinces in China, winter melons are especially abundant in Guangdong, the country's largest producer, accounting for about one-fifth of national production.