During the Chinese New Year period, the news of consecutive deaths of middle-aged experts and scholars in mainland China has attracted attention. On February 9, the top trending topic was the passing of Song Wenwen, a 41-year-old associate professor at the Nanjing Normal University School of Fine Arts. Previously, the unexpected death of 48-year-old Chinese economist Li Feng during the New Year holidays had also made headlines.
According to a report by The Paper on February 9, it was learned from multiple friends of Song Wenwen that she, an associate professor at the Nanjing Normal University School of Fine Arts and a researcher at the Zijin Intangible Cultural Heritage Management and Brand Communication Research Center at Nanjing Normal University, passed away in Beijing on January 31, 2025 (the third day of the lunar new year) due to an incurable illness at the age of 41.
Song Wenwen, born in January 1984, a native of Shuyang County in Suqian City, Jiangsu Province, was a member of the Communist Party of China.
As of now, the specific details of Song Wenwen’s illness are unknown.
Netizen “Peng’s Pi Xiu Information Bureau” indicated that in September 2024, Song Wenwen had conducted an academic lecture at the school. Just five months later, she departed from this world unexpectedly, showing the sudden and dangerous nature of her illness.
During the Chinese New Year period, news of the passing of middle-aged experts and scholars in mainland China continued to emerge. The news of the sudden death of 48-year-old Chinese economist Li Feng had caused a stir.
As reported, Li Feng, a senior partner at the Shanghai Hualei Think Tank, chief expert of the Free Trade Zone Port, director of the Institute of Reform and Innovation, and a researcher at the Comprehensive Research Institute of the Free Trade Zone at Nanjing University, passed away unexpectedly during the Lunar New Year holiday on January 27 at the age of 48.
This news became a hot topic on February 6, with speculations arising due to the unknown cause of his untimely death.
After Epoch Times reported on this news, some netizens commented in the section that as various experts, they should first have a better ability to protect their own lives than ordinary people, especially given the frequent occurrence of various disasters today. Otherwise, the significance of being an expert is diminished. The true expertise surely surpasses that of ordinary individuals, and only by safeguarding their own lives can they better contribute their knowledge and skills for the benefit of the country and society. It is hoped that experts in China and around the world will take better care of their precious lives and refrain from dancing with the devils of the Chinese Communist Party. This is also the most crucial point.
On February 7, the media disclosed that Li Feng had passed away from accidental drowning, which garnered renewed attention and once again trended on social media.
Public records show that Li Feng was from Guanshan, Henan Province. He graduated from Nanjing University in 2006 and thereafter served in various positions at the Shanghai Municipal Government Research Office, the Shanghai Municipal Government Development Research Center, including as Director. Upon joining the Shanghai Hualei Think Tank, Li Feng founded the Institute of Reform and Innovation and assumed the role of director, additionally serving as the chief expert of the Free Trade Zone Port.