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The death of a young woman once hailed as a national hero by Chinese state media has reignited discussion about the dangers of turning ordinary citizens into propaganda symbols, only to abandon them when they’re no longer politically useful.
Lang Xuemei, who became known across China as the “horseback girl” after viral videos showed her riding through snowstorms to deliver supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic, died last month at the age of 24. According to reports circulating on Chinese social media, she took her own life after falling into poverty and depression when public attention faded.
Lang rose to prominence in early 2020 during China’s initial COVID outbreak. Footage of the young woman from Inner Mongolia braving harsh winter conditions on horseback to deliver necessities to isolated villagers quickly captivated the nation. State media outlets eagerly amplified her story, portraying her as embodying the selfless “volunteer spirit” that officials claimed was helping China triumph over the pandemic.
“She represented everything the government wanted to showcase about its COVID response – resilience, sacrifice, and community spirit,” said Dr. Zhang Wei, a political scientist specializing in Chinese media studies. “For a brief moment, she became the perfect symbol of national solidarity during crisis.”
The Communist Party’s propaganda department featured Lang prominently in nationwide campaigns. She appeared on television programs, received government awards, and was invited to speak at official functions. Her rural background and photogenic appearance made her particularly marketable as a symbol of China’s supposed grassroots strength during the pandemic.
However, as China’s zero-COVID policy extended from months into years, public interest in pandemic heroes waned. By late 2022, when protests against lockdown measures erupted across the country, previously celebrated figures like Lang had already disappeared from official narratives.
According to former colleagues and friends posting on social media platform Weibo, Lang struggled to readjust to normal life after her brief fame. Without formal education beyond middle school and having dedicated years to volunteer work that provided little compensation, she reportedly faced significant financial difficulties. Several posts suggested she had sought mental health support but found limited resources in her rural community.
“This is the dark side of propaganda heroism,” commented Li Xin, a Beijing-based media analyst. “When the spotlight turns away, these individuals often find themselves without the skills, connections, or support systems needed to sustain themselves. They’re celebrated for their sacrifice, then left to make further sacrifices in obscurity.”
Lang’s case bears similarities to other propaganda figures whose post-fame lives ended tragically. During the 1960s, Lei Feng, a soldier celebrated for his selflessness, became the subject of a massive personality cult after his death. More recently, several “model workers” featured in state media have later reported exploitation and abandonment once their propaganda value diminished.
The Chinese government has not officially commented on Lang’s death, and initial reports about her suicide were quickly censored on Chinese social media. However, before being removed, posts about her fate had already generated significant discussion among netizens.
“They used her image until it was worn out, then discarded her like yesterday’s newspaper,” wrote one Weibo user in a comment later deleted by censors. Another observed that “hero worship without genuine support creates victims, not heroes.”
The case highlights broader concerns about China’s propaganda apparatus, which regularly elevates ordinary citizens to heroic status to reinforce political narratives, often without consideration for the long-term impact on those individuals.
Media experts note that the rapid cycle of creating and abandoning propaganda figures has accelerated in the digital age. “Social media allows the state to discover and amplify ‘everyday heroes’ more quickly than ever before,” said Professor Huang Yasheng of MIT’s Sloan School of Management. “But the speed with which they can fall from public consciousness has similarly increased.”
As China continues to face economic headwinds and social challenges, Lang’s story serves as a somber reminder of the human cost behind political messaging, and the often-forgotten lives that exist beyond the carefully constructed narratives of state media.
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12 Comments
Tragic story. The government’s exploitation of this woman’s hardship for propaganda purposes is deeply concerning. They should be held accountable for the consequences she faced. More transparency and safeguards are needed to prevent such abuses.
This is a heartbreaking case that exemplifies the human toll of propaganda. The government’s use of this young woman for political gain, only to abandon her when the spotlight faded, is a disturbing ethical breach. Reforms are clearly needed.
Tragic story about the young woman who became a propaganda symbol in China. This highlights the risks of using ordinary citizens for political messaging without proper support or protection. The government should take responsibility for abandoning her when she needed help the most.
You’re right, the government’s exploitation of this woman’s hardship for propaganda purposes is deeply concerning. They should be held accountable for the consequences she faced.
The death of the ‘horseback girl’ is a sobering reminder that real people’s lives are at stake when the media and government turn them into propaganda tools. More transparency and accountability is needed to prevent such tragedies.
Absolutely. Turning ordinary citizens into political symbols without proper support or safeguards is a dangerous practice that can have devastating human costs. The government must be more responsible in how it leverages people’s stories.
This is a tragic and disturbing case that highlights the dangers of using people as political props. The government’s abandonment of this woman after milking her story for propaganda is a shameful dereliction of responsibility. Reforms are clearly needed to prevent such abuses.
This is a tragic and disturbing story. The government’s treatment of this young woman as a propaganda symbol, rather than a human being, is reprehensible. They must be held accountable for abandoning her when she needed help the most. Reforms are clearly needed to prevent such abuses in the future.
Heartbreaking to see how this young woman was used by the government for propaganda only to be left to suffer when the spotlight faded. The lack of support and accountability is deeply concerning. This case underscores the urgent need for greater transparency and ethical practices in how the media and government handle people’s stories.
I agree completely. The government’s exploitation of this woman’s hardship, without providing any real assistance or protection, is a grave ethical failure that must be addressed.
What a terrible situation. The government’s treatment of this woman as a propaganda symbol, rather than a human being, is reprehensible. They must take responsibility for abandoning her and address the systemic issues that allowed this to happen.
Well said. The government’s exploitation of ordinary citizens for political gain, without providing proper support, is a major ethical breach that must be addressed.