China’s Horseback Heroine Death Reveals Propaganda’s Dangerous Side

The death of a Chinese woman once heralded as a national heroine has sparked controversy and exposed the risks associated with state propaganda campaigns in China.

Li Yifei, who became known across China as “Iron Horse Girl” after her story of herding livestock in harsh conditions went viral, died last week at just 23 years old. Her brief life and sudden death have renewed criticism about how the Chinese government exploits individuals for propaganda purposes while often failing to provide tangible support.

Li rose to prominence in 2021 when state media highlighted her daily routine of riding 15 miles on horseback through mountainous terrain to herd cattle in remote Yunnan province. Official outlets portrayed her as embodying traditional values of hard work and resilience in the face of hardship. Videos showing the young woman galloping across stunning landscapes garnered millions of views on Chinese social media platforms.

The narrative crafted around Li emphasized her devotion to family and her acceptance of difficult living conditions without complaint. State media praised her for continuing the family’s herding tradition despite having opportunities to leave for urban areas, as millions of rural Chinese youth have done in recent decades.

However, the reality behind the carefully curated image was more complex. While Li was celebrated publicly, her actual living conditions remained challenging. Following her death from an unspecified illness, online commentators have questioned whether earlier medical intervention might have saved her life, and whether her celebration as a propaganda figure actually improved her material circumstances.

“This is yet another example of how rural figures are romanticized and exploited for political messaging without receiving substantive assistance,” said Dr. Zhang Wei, a professor of media studies at Hong Kong University. “The government celebrates rural hardship as virtuous while urban migration continues unabated because of the real economic disparities.”

Li’s case follows a pattern of other short-lived propaganda campaigns centered on individuals from rural or disadvantaged backgrounds. In 2021, the “Frost Boy” – a child photographed with frozen hair after walking miles to school in winter – briefly captured national attention before fading from view. Similarly, a young girl from Guizhou who lived in extreme poverty was briefly celebrated before public interest waned.

The Chinese government has made rural revitalization a key policy priority under President Xi Jinping, who has emphasized the importance of maintaining traditional values while modernizing the countryside. However, critics argue that these propaganda campaigns often mask the slow pace of actual rural development and the persistent urban-rural divide.

Economic data supports these concerns. According to China’s National Bureau of Statistics, the income gap between urban and rural residents remains substantial, with urban disposable income more than 2.5 times higher than rural income in 2023.

“There’s something deeply troubling about celebrating young people who endure hardship rather than creating conditions where such hardship is unnecessary,” said Liu Chen, a sociologist at Beijing Normal University. “The romanticization of rural suffering has become a substitute for addressing structural inequalities.”

On Chinese social media platform Weibo, where comments are heavily monitored, some users have still managed to express outrage about Li’s death. “She was used as a symbol and then forgotten,” wrote one user in a comment that was later removed. Another asked: “What’s the point of being famous if you can’t even access basic healthcare?”

Officials in Yunnan province have issued a brief statement acknowledging Li’s death but have not addressed questions about whether her medical care was adequate or if her family received any substantive support following her rise to fame.

Media experts note that Li’s story reflects a broader tension in China’s approach to rural development – celebrating traditional lifestyles while simultaneously pushing for modernization and urbanization.

As China continues to navigate its complex relationship with rural traditions in an increasingly urbanized society, Li Yifei’s brief life and premature death serve as a stark reminder of the human cost behind propaganda narratives, and the distance that often exists between celebrated images and harsh realities.