Rural veterinarian maintains dual role as vet and internet celebrity in NW China's Ningxia

Veterinarian Bai Hua looks for medicines from the trunk of her car in Guyuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, April 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua)

The 27-year-old, a skilled rural veterinarian maintains a dual role as vet and internet celebrity who has gained a total of three million followers on multiple video sharing and streaming platforms, like Kuaishou, Bilibili and Douyin.

In her short videos, Bai can be seen in dirty cowsheds, but she remains beautiful and fashionable while calmly taking care of bloated sick cattle, delivering baby cows, and giving injections. The stark contrast won her fans' affection.

The young female veterinarian, a relative rarity in a dirty, smelly and somewhat risky profession, knew it was not an easy choice for her to embark on such a career.

Despite having been splashed in the face with cow manure while pulling a cow's tail, and being kicked by cows multiple times, the image-conscious woman has never entertained the thought of changing careers. Instead, she remains determined to dive deeply into veterinary science, and dreams of becoming a leading veterinarian.

Bai made no bones about her desire for fame, which inspired her to carve out a second career. "I want to help more young people get a close-up view of this profession through my example. I want them to know that veterinarians can also dress in a clean and stylish manner every day, and that the work can be interesting. This will encourage more young people to join me."

Riding on the wave of short videos, Bai has become famous as she wished, and she is occasionally recognized when traveling to other places. But what makes her happiest is that more and more young people are asking her online about how to become a good veterinarian.

Even so, Bai still strives for perfection and often spends tens of thousands of yuan out of her own pocket for further study. "I must continue to learn, I can't let my reputation exceed my ability," she quipped.

Veterinarian Bai Hua arranges medicines in her veterinary clinic in Yuanzhou District, Guyuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, April 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua)

Veterinarian Bai Hua registers information of medicines in her veterinary clinic in Yuanzhou District, Guyuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, April 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua)

Veterinarian Bai Hua prepares medicine from the trunk of her car in Guyuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, April 17, 2023. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua)

This aerial photo taken on April 18, 2023 shows veterinarian Bai Hua driving her pink car on her way to a farmer's house for treating cattle in Guyuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua)

Veterinarian Bai Hua sutures the wound of a cow owned by a villager in Yuanzhou District, Guyuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, April 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua)

Veterinarian Bai Hua gives infusion to a cow owned by a farmer in Yuanzhou District, Guyuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, April 17, 2023. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua)

Veterinarian Bai Hua sutures the wound of a cow owned by a villager in Yuanzhou District, Guyuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, April 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua)

A colleague of Veterinarian Bai Hua (C) helps her take video sharing her work on internet in Guyuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, April 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua)

Veterinarian Bai Hua takes out medicines from the trunk of her car in Guyuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, April 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua)

The trunk of veterinarian Bai Hua's car is seen filled with medicines in Guyuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, April 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua)

Veterinarian Bai Hua arranges medicines in the trunk of her car in front of her veterinary clinic in Yuanzhou District, Guyuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, April 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua)