In the high-stakes, shadow-filled world of Chinese entertainment, few stories have proved as haunting or as resilient as the fate of Yu Menglong. For months, the actor's name was a ghost in the machine — systematically scrubbed from the internet, his digital footprint erased by a state apparatus that prefers its controversies forgotten.
Yet, nearly one hundred days after the first chilling reports of his death emerged, something is shifting. In the cracks of the Great Firewall, a name once forbidden is beginning to flicker back to life. Reports alleging that Yu had been killed first surfaced following a controversial 17-minute livestream on Sept. 16, an event that triggered a total digital blackout of his identity.
Independent media creator Edward Wenming recently noted a subtle, perhaps even deliberate, softening of the censorship surrounding the star. It is a development that has sent shockwaves through the global community of his supporters, who have spent months turning street corners in Australia and memorial benches in London's Victoria Embankment Gardens into makeshift shrines. These 'stars in a winter night', as his admirers call themselves, are now watching their screens with bated breath, wondering if the tide is finally turning.
The Reappearance of Yu Menglong: A Tactical Thaw or a Digital Trap?
The evidence of this shift is as poetic as it is perplexing. Major platforms such as Bilibili, Douyin, and Weibo — previously the front lines of the purge — now appear to permit searches for the actor. Even dormant social media accounts belonging to the star have reportedly resurfaced, allowing fans to access archived images and videos for the first time in months.
Even more startling is the conduct of verified state-affiliated accounts. From People's Daily Science to the China Meteorological Administration and the Hangzhou Xixi National Wetland Park, official posts have begun featuring poetic phrases that incorporate the exact characters of Yu Menglong's name.
While these posts ostensibly discuss nature or history, referencing 'finding direction amid obscurity' and 'touching history and the present through hazy light', the timing is impossible to ignore. In a landscape where every character is scrutinised, many netizens argue such overlaps are far from coincidental.
However, in a climate defined by mistrust, this 'loosening' has been met with significant anxiety. Some vocal supporters fear a 'fishing' expedition — a tactical move by authorities to identify and flag those still loyal to the actor's memory. As one cautious commenter wrote: 'Who knows if this is fishing?'
Symbolic Resistance and the Legacy of Yu Menglong
As the official silence breaks, the artistic world is finding its own way to speak. Musicians and actors, bound by the same invisible lines that constrained Yu, are increasingly turning to a language of metaphors. Singer Zhou Shen's recent performances of 'Like a Human and Mercy' have been described by fans as deeply unsettling, featuring puppet-like figures on ropes and giant fish suspended in a dark, aquatic void. The lyrics — 'They look at me through microscopes... trading one life for how much gold' — have been interpreted by many as a biting commentary on the industry that chewed Yu up.
This story has even drawn in famous people like Jackson Yee from around the world. Yee talked about his work relationship with Yu in an interview with a magazine from another country. He thought back to a livestream that caused a lot of controversy when he silently stacked stones as rumors of Yu's death spread.
Yee said there was no political intent and called it a 'improvised post-concert interaction' after eight years of not livestreaming. However, people noticed that the stones looked like Tibetan 'mani' stones, which are used in prayers for the dead.
The mystery gets even more complicated with new claims that Yi Shu, Yee's uncle and a former executive at Yu's agency, Tianyu Media, and the founder of Fuxing Media, is involved. Footage from 2010 has resurfaced, showing the late actor Qiao Renliang criticizing Yi Shu for being manipulative.
This adds to an already dark story with more grim speculation. There is still a lot of speculation about a reported gathering of 17 people connected to the Yu Menglong case. Some of the people who were there are said to be connected to Yi Shu's professional circles.
For now, the reappearance of Yu's name in state media remains a riddle. Whether it is a genuine softening of the heart or a calculated move to manage a narrative that refused to die, it proves one thing: in the battle between state censorship and public conscience, the memory of Yu Menglong is proving remarkably difficult to bury. In today's China, where 'being allowed to live' is often framed as the ultimate right, the mere mention of a forbidden name is a powerful act of remembrance.
