He was a
Khampa herdsman who did not finish primary school and barely speaks
Mandarin.[2][1]
Ding Zhen Phenomenon
On 11 November 2020, he became famous on the Internet for a 7-second
TikTok video clip taken by Chinese photographer Boge,[7][8] and was named 'Sweet Wild Boy (Chinese: 甜野男孩;
Pinyin: Tianye Nanhai)' by Chinese netizens.[9] Within a few days, his related message was read by over millions people on
Sina Weibo.[10] On 18 November, he was recruited by Litang Culture, Tourism and Sports Investment Development Corporation Limited, a local
state-owned company to promote the local tourism industry.[11][12] Other East Asian countries, such as
Japan and
South Korea, have also covered him. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson
Hua Chunying also reposted photos of Ding Zhen on
Twitter.[13] The "Ding Zhen phenomenon" has led to a large number of Chinese tourists travelling to
Tibetan areas,[14] with a significant increase in orders for destinations such as
Kangding airport and
Daocheng Yading airport.[15]
Works
On 4 February 2021, Ding Zhen released his first album 1376 All Wishes Come True (1376心想事成) in collaboration with a Tibetan band,
ANU.[16]
Controversy
Ding Zhen's sudden ascension to wealth and fame caused great controversy, especially among China's
Small-town Swots.[17] Some netizens disparage his success as the "epitome of superficiality" while they struggle because their only path to success is in hard work in school and the workplace.[1] Ding lacks formal education and yet gained wealth and status, including a job in a Chinese state-owned enterprise, which usually requires fierce competition to obtain.[17][18]
The
Central Tibetan Administration criticized the
Chinese government's use of Ding Zhen as propagandistic and not really promoting
Tibetan culture, especially their
religion.[19][20] Other critics argued that Ding Zhen's status as an ethnic minority contributes to fetishization and colonial-gazes from a China dominated by ethnic Han people, who view him and Khampa culture as a primitive and exotic "other".[21][8] Furthermore, in attracting tourists interested in fulfilling their
cottagecore fantasies, he risks shifting local traditions toward conformity with tourists' expectations.[2]