The shocking news of mainland Chinese actor Yu Menglong’s fatal plunge has sent shockwaves across the globe. While authorities quickly concluded it as an “accidental fall after drinking,” there are widespread doubts about the true cause of his death, with many believing he was murdered for rejecting improper advances. Allegations involving the illegitimate child and relatives of high-ranking Chinese Communist Party officials have triggered a massive crackdown on free speech, with even homophones not spared. Numerous accounts of fish-selling bloggers were shut down, simply because “fish” sounds similar to “Yu,” sparking strong backlash from mainland Chinese netizens.
Yu Menglong’s tragic fall on September 11 raised numerous suspicions about his death. Social media platforms in mainland China such as Weibo and Xiaohongshu quickly designated “Yu Menglong” as a sensitive term. Any mention of the three words would result in immediate post deletion and even account suspension.
However, the authorities’ actions have not deterred fans from seeking the truth. In defiance of censorship, netizens have started using various substitute terms to break through the barriers, with the most common being referred to as “little fish” or using fish emojis to boldly express their opinions across different corners of the internet.
As public outcry for justice for Yu Menglong continues to escalate, not only have “Yu Menglong” and “Menglong” been blacklisted as sensitive terms, but even the homophone “fish” has become a taboo word.
According to online sources, many live streaming accounts focusing on selling fish or fishing have been inexplicably suspended recently. For instance, the TikTok account “Zhengji’s Salmon” has been banned from live streaming for 90 days since September 30; the account “Tian Tian Seafood Store” showed a notification on October 4 of a one-week live streaming ban; on October 2, the account “Xiongxian Yu Zhi Xian Trading Co., Ltd.” was suspended from live streaming for three days for allegedly engaging in inappropriate user contact and transactions; and the blogger “Jingbao Ornamental Fish” was prohibited from live streaming for one day on October 8.
There are also reports from netizens that fishing-related live streaming accounts have also been shut down, indicating that the government’s censorship has extended to everyday language.
The Chinese Communist Party’s attempts to cover up the truth have infuriated mainland netizens, who are questioning, “What did the fishmongers and fishermen do wrong?” “The entire network has gone crazy, how sensitive has it become?” “Why are they so afraid?” “Shouldn’t they just shut down the internet with this kind of censorship?”
In addition, Hong Kong singer Sammi Cheng, who previously criticized the mainland entertainment industry as a “squid game” and has been advocating for justice for Yu Menglong, recently revealed that she has been threatened to “shut up,” but she firmly refused.
On Facebook, Cheng posted a large “trick” character and stated, “It’s easy for me to shut up! If you have some substantial ability to surpass me, I will immediately shut up and disappear! Just using foul language, hiding your name, disrupting social order, ‘vermin’ quickly get out of the way, the world doesn’t need you!”
Regarding the case of Yu Menglong’s fatal fall, Cheng described the entire situation as “bizarre.” She expressed her desire to immediately deal with the malevolent individuals present at the scene and to comfort the spirit of the departed. She urged everyone not to walk away.