On September 19, fans across the internet once again began searching for posts by entertainment critic Song Zude on social media platforms.
Song Zude’s videos on social media have not been updated for some time, leading to rumors of his disappearance or even death. Further information from his brother, Liu Xinda, on social media accounts strongly suggests that Song Zude has become a Buddhist monk and embraced Buddhism at Wutai Mountain in Shanxi province.
Liu Xinda explicitly stated that if his own account continues to remain inactive, it indicates that he too has followed Song Zude into monkhood.
As of now, there is no news from Song Zude, and discussions among fans searching for him have been ongoing on mainland Chinese social media platforms for some time. Song Zude is a public figure known for expressing sharp opinions on current social issues and is widely recognized by netizens for his outspokenness.
According to a journalist’s investigation, Song Zude appeared in video programs and had an account on Xiaohongshu with 100,000 followers under the name “Song Zude.” His last update was on June 18 this year regarding “simple methods for dehumidifying in summer” in traditional Chinese medicine.
On Douyin, Song Zude’s most recent video was on July 6, where he shared a piece of ancient wisdom his mother taught him: “The first two steps are crucial.” In a rare move, he introduced his alter ego on Douyin, “Dazui Zude,” and even shared the specific account number letter by letter, “scd13808869,” using hand gestures to emphasize his point.
He emphasized that the content on his alt account on Douyin is completely different from his main account and encouraged fans to check it out. Fans found this contrary to any impending exit from social media platforms.
On August 15, a brief text update was posted on his main Douyin account, signed off as “Hongde,” instead of the usual “Song Zude.” The change in signature and the IP address originating from Shanxi instead of Guangdong led many to doubt the authenticity of the update.
Subsequently, his brother Liu Xinda’s account repeatedly posted texts titled “Cultivation,” “Retreat,” “Monastic Life,” “Search,” with tags such as “Bodhisattva Hongde,” “Song Zude,” and “Wutai Mountain.” On August 17, in the post “Search,” Liu Xinda wrote, “Half in the land of Buddha, half in the mountains, only Wutai Mountain is where your heart finds peace,” and mentioned, “Bodhisattva Hongde is silent, yet has revealed all.”
Public records show that Liu Xinda, originally named Song Zuxing, is the brother of Song Zude, and both have been active in online public opinion for many years. As early as around 2004, various media outlets had investigated and reported on their family and identity relations.
In a newly released poem on September 21 titled “The Vast Red Dust, The Waves of Life Begin,” he wrote, “I won’t describe your whereabouts too concretely, no need for heavy-handed strokes, just a light sketch. Those who resonate will understand naturally.” Tags included “Liu Xinda,” “Bodhisattva Hongde,” “Wutai Mountain,” and “Song Zude.”
In a poem titled “Hong Er” on September 4, he even suggested in advance that he might follow Song Zude and enter Buddhism. Referring to himself as “Hong Er,” he said, “If one day my account continues to remain inactive, it should be that my worldly attachments have ended, following Venerable Hongyi, following Venerable Hongde, entering the world of emptiness.”
In the comment section, netizens expressed that “these two brothers have bad luck with little good fortune” and also said, “Everything is clear now.”
On August 17, in the post “Search,” Liu Xinda also bluntly wrote, “Half in the land of Buddha, half in the mountains, only Wutai Mountain is where your heart finds peace,” and mentioned, “Bodhisattva Hongde is silent, yet has revealed all.”
These public revelations led to widespread speculation that Song Zude may have departed from his previous online life, gone to Wutai Mountain in Shanxi to practice, and adopted the moniker or title of Hongde.
In early September, a screenshot of a purported criminal court ruling document circulated online, stating, “Defendant Song Zude died on July 19, 2026,” causing concern among many netizens. However, around September 12, senior media figure Du Enhui received a response from Liu Xinda’s side, stating that the network rumors about Song Zude’s death were “severely inaccurate,” and that Song Zude is currently living a healthy life.
Song Zude is a controversial and individualistic public figure in mainland China. In his early years, he gained the moniker “Song Big Mouth” for frequently criticizing celebrities and the chaos in the entertainment industry. As early as 2006, in an interview, he claimed to have a “strong sense of social responsibility” to expose what he deemed as “false, evil, and ugly.” He once described himself as “facing falsehood with a cold brow, bending down to be a dog for the people.”
Due to his nature, Song Zude’s focus later expanded beyond the entertainment industry and into social events that ordinary people care about. For example, organ transplantation became one of his most discussed topics in recent years. In January 2023, Song Zude publicly called for strict legislation to limit organ transplants, proposing strict limits and criminal accountability for organ sources beyond voluntary donation or intra-family transplants. In 2025, he reiterated this stance, sparking extensive discussions on short video platforms.
Following the controversial death of Hunan doctor Luo Shuaiyu, Song Zude became one of the voices continuing to speak out. He openly questioned the investigation conclusions, referring to Luo Shuaiyu as a “whistleblower” and urging netizens to keep paying attention to the issues raised by her parents.
Due to the discrepancy between official investigation findings and the doubts raised by Song Zude and some netizens, he continued to pose new questions.
After the death of Yu Menglong in 2025, Song Zude continued to raise questions on Weibo, pressing for clarification from those involved and questioning public statements. His activities received widespread attention and citations from overseas Chinese media. Screenshots showed that some posts existed for only a few minutes, drawing attention from Chinese communities worldwide.
However, due to his openness, Song Zude faced continuous platform restrictions. During the Hu Xinyu incident in 2023, his Weibo account was temporarily suspended. In November 2025, during a widespread Weibo account suspension, Song Zude’s million-follower account was permanently banned, following which his Kuaishou account was also banned.