Chinese Viral Official He Jiaolong, 47, Dies in Filming Accident

He Jiaolong, a Chinese official who rose to national fame for a breathtaking horseback video promoting Xinjiang's tourism, has died at 47 from injuries sustained in a work-related riding accident.

The incident occurred around 3pm on January 11 in Bole City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. He was preparing for a promotional shoot for local agricultural e-commerce when she fell from her horse. She was immediately rushed to a hospital in Bortala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture.

Despite treatment, her condition remained critical. She was transferred to the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University on January 13 but passed away the following day.

During her tenure as deputy head of Zhaosu County in 2020, she pioneered the use of social media livestreams to promote local agricultural products. Her online prominence soared later that November when a video of her galloping through snow to promote tourism went viral. Leveraging this influence, she became a leading figure in live-streaming e-commerce dedicated to aiding farmers.

In 2023, she was appointed director of the Xinjiang Regional Agricultural Products Brand Development and Marketing Service Center. In this role, she guided over 400 agricultural enterprises through e-commerce transformation, boosting local sales.

With 6.32 million followers on Douyin, He was known for actively promoting Xinjiang's tourism and hosting charity live streams for farmers. She did not accept personal compensation for this work, directing all tips and rewards to charitable causes.

In 2021, while filming the "Heavenly Horse Bathing in the River" scene in Zhaosu, He also accidentally fell from her horse. "In fact, I had fallen off the horse several times before, but this time it happened to be captured by the drone," He explained in an interview with Red Star News on July 9, 2021.