The tragedy happened yesterday in Menghai County in Yunnan Province, the prefecture government said in a statement.
The victim had been in China since Monday, state-run Xinhua quoted the statement as saying.
To avoid further such tragedies, local authorities called for better monitoring of wild elephants and an education campaign for villagers.
Wild Asian elephants are under state protection in China, about 300 live mainly in Yunnan Province.
Enhanced protection for wild animals has seen the mammals' number rise in recent years, but cases of clashes with humans have also increased, according to the local government.