China official dies after horse riding accident while filming publicity clip for local agriculture
Trend-setting woman nicknamed the ‘most valiant culture and tourism director’ inspired others to follow in her footsteps
The death in a horse riding accident of a Chinese government official while filming to promote the beauty of a local area has sparked heated online discussions about the phenomenon of “official influencers”.
On January 11, He Jiaolong fell from a horse while filming for an agricultural e-commerce programme in the Bortala Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture in Xinjiang, northwestern China, and suffered a severe head injury.
She was rushed to hospital but died from her injuries on January 14. She was 47.
He had served as the director of Xinjiang’s Agricultural Product Brand Development and Marketing Service Centre since 2023.
In a video she posted on her account, which has 6.7 million followers, on the last day of 2025, He said she had been working too hard to enjoy leisure time or be with her family.
She added that she never regretted her choice as she had to promote the agricultural products from her hometown to the outside world.
He was one of the first Chinese government officials to become an online influencer.