Yunnan rose proposed to be named after deceased Xinjiang official

Many internet users have proposed naming a newly bred pink rose variety "Jiaolong" in tribute to He Jiaolong, a Xinjiang official and social media influencer who died earlier this month while on duty, according to Chuncheng Evening News.

The proposal has quickly gained widespread support online and is currently the leading choice in a public naming process organized by the Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences (YAAS) and other local institutions.

Cai Yanfei, a researcher at YAAS, said that the proposal to name the new rose variety "Jiaolong" has a commanding lead, with her team believing that the rose's characteristics and spirit closely align with He's.

The official died on Jan 14 after falling from a horse while filming material for an e-commerce program promoting local agricultural products in Xinjiang, state media reported.

She became nationally known in 2020 for using livestreaming to help farmers sell produce and later led efforts to promote agricultural branding and e-commerce in the region, assisting hundreds of rural businesses.

Cai and her team said they are now considering whether to adopt the name directly, citing strong public sentiment and a previous case in which a rose was named after another deceased grassroots official following widespread online support.