Official dies after horse fall during local promotional film shoot

Ha Qiao Long, a well-known Chinese official and internet personality, has passed away at the age of 47 after falling from a horse while filming a local agricultural promotion.

Ms. Ha, director of the Xinjiang Agricultural Product Brand Development and Marketing Center since 2023, sustained a severe head injury from a horse fall while filming a beef product marketing program in Bortal Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, on 11/1.

Despite being rushed to emergency care, she did not recover and passed away on 14/1. The authorities officially announced this information on 9/2.

Ha Qiao Long in a 2020 video promoting local agricultural products. *Nfnews*

In a video posted on her personal account, which has 6,7 million followers, on the last day of 2025, Ms. Ha shared that she often overworked, leaving little free time for her family. However, she maintained that she never regretted this choice, as she viewed her mission as promoting her homeland's products to the world.

Ha Qiao Long was one of the first state officials in China to become an internet influencer. In 2020, a video of her in a red costume, riding a horse across a snow-covered field in Xinjiang, went viral with over 600 million views.

Ms. Ha previously served as Deputy Head of Zhaosu county and Deputy Director of the Ili Culture and Tourism Department. Internet users nicknamed her the "bravest" cultural and tourism promotion official. Her popularity generated 140 million yuan (20 million USD) in revenue for local agricultural products in 2021 and created 2,000 new jobs.

"My online influence is to serve the people," she said.

Ms. Ha fell from a horse in 2020. *Nfnews*

In 7/2020, she had also fallen from a horse. Her husband and mother were constantly worried, advising her to stop dangerous activities, but she believed all risks were worthwhile if they resulted in beautiful footage of her homeland. She even sat on a suspended bed 100 m above the ground to promote Xinjiang cotton products.

Ms. Ha's funeral was held in her hometown of Zhaosu county on 14/1. Many local residents attended the service. Local flower shops reported being "sold out" as people nationwide sent flowers to pay their respects.

Her passing sparked debate about the trend of officials creating online content. Following Ms. Ha's success, many tourism leaders, such as Liu Hong, director of the Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Culture and Tourism Department, followed suit by transforming into martial arts heroes in a video filmed in 2022. Other officials adopted ethnic minority costumes, performed rap music, played musical instruments, or spoke English to attract tourists.

However, some argue that "officials should not become too engrossed in being influencers. Instead, they should focus on improving service quality, controlling prices, and cracking down on local tourism scams."