20-year old Ding Zhen was a local horseman and yak-herding cowboy in his small Tibetan enclave in Sichuan when a photography and film crew featured him in a local promotional clip. Within a few weeks he became one of the most famous young men in China, adored and trending on Chinese TikTok and Weibo (Chinese Twitter). According to Weibo’s summary of his story:
A Khampa Tibetan farmer has become an online sensation in China due to his handsome features. His overnight fame, which comes with legions of adoring fans and TV show invitations, has sparked discussions about the often-overwhelming loss of privacy that can accompany online stardom
This is original content by What’s on Weibo
Ding Zhen’s striking beauty and simple, innocent smile has taken China by storm. From the simple life of herding cattle and riding his horse, he’s now an official tourism spokesman for his remote region with a generous income and full government benefits.
His ascendancy to “Prince of Horses”, as the media call Ding Zhen, Have transformed his life and have the Chinese people adopting him as a cause celebre, begging for stardom and the media not to spoil his village simplicity. Here are some of the many YouTube clips devoted to the young heartthrob and his rise to fame:
Some have urged him to pursue a movie-star career or become a model or singer. But so far Ding Zhen is devoted to his town and family and glad to promote his home region to the world. As much as he loves traveling to the city and starring in videos, he still misses his parents and the flock of yaks he still cares for in his daily life.
