In many places, reporting a broken streetlight means making a phone call or filling out a form. In one Chinese county, it can be as simple as leaving a comment.

Meet Deng Qun, the "Social Media Secretary" whose Douyin account has become a viral hotline for real-time governance. A netizen recently posted: "Party Secretary Deng, the street lamp by Forest Botanical Garden is broken," to which Deng replied almost instantly "Noted, it's fixed," and attached a photo of workers on site.

Deng's Douyin team responds to a citizen's report of a broken streetlight—with proof of the fix. (Photo: Screenshot from Douyin)

Netizens call it the "Public Opinion Ledger"—Deng's Douyin account (China's TikTok) that went viral for instant replies and real fixes. Since 2022, Deng, CPC Lanshan county Committee Secretary in Yongzhou, Hunan, has made social media the local government's frontline.

Born in 1975, Deng rose from Commerce Director and HR Bureau chief in Yongzhou to Lanshan Mayor, then to Party Secretary in December 2025.

Deng Qun (right), Party Secretary of Lanshan county, on the job. (Photo: Yongzhou Converged Media Center)

Her account now boasts 200,000+ followers and 1.03 million likes.

It channels citizens straight to local government, with Deng ensuring prompt responses and follow-through.

"As public servants, we must solve people's urgent problems. New media opens direct communication when WeChat contacts fall short," Deng says.

A dedicated team handles surging comments via "reply online, resolve offline." New media meets grassroots governance—at internet speeds.

(Edited by Guan Haoyu and intern Li Linmo)