Video star gets job promoting tourism

A Tibetan man who recently became famous on Douyin for his good looks and innocent smile has been given a job promoting tourism in Sichuan province's Litang county.

Tenzin, 20, became famous unexpectedly after a photographer posted a video of him on Douyin, the domestic version of the TikTok short-video platform, in which he wore a traditional Tibetan costume and smiled in front of the camera.

Many netizens, especially female ones, said Tenzin had "stars in his eyes" and his smile was "angelic and comforting". Many also said that they wanted to be his girlfriend.

The photographer who posted the video also filmed Tenzin's father and little brother. Neither of them was noticed by netizens.

On Thursday, Tenzin posted his first video on his own Douyin account in which he introduced his white horse in stumbling Mandarin. The video has been viewed by more than 14 million people and attracted more than 1.8 million followers in one day.

"Tenzin has been hired by our company to promote the tourism of Litang county and Garze Tibetan autonomous prefecture," said Gao Xiaoping, deputy manager of the county's culture, tourism and sports investment development company.

"He'll get a monthly salary of 3,500 yuan ($530) as well as insurance and subsidies. We'll check the qualifications of the companies that want to cooperate with him to prevent him from being cheated. We'll take no bite of the income or the presents he receives," he said.

Sangyeshung, a Tibetan man who works as a physician for the Ganlu Tibetan Medicine Group in the Tibet autonomous region, said he was glad to see that Tibetans are increasingly becoming internet celebrities.

"They can introduce Tibetan culture, food and places of interests to the world," he said. "The internet provides a very convenient way for the world to learn and appreciate Tibet's charm."

Dorje Tash, a teacher at the No 3 Middle School in Nagchu, Tibet, said most of the Tibetan internet celebrities have simple personalities and unique costumes that catch netizens' attention easily.

"Though Tenzin is not as handsome as many movie stars, his eyes and smile are really impressive," Dorje Tash said. "The new media platforms provide chances for people like him to show their talent."