Was Yu Menglong's Body Secretly Preserved? Shocking Report Links Late Actor to Beijing Art Museum Scandal

When a beloved actor dies, fans mourn the loss of a talent gone too soon. But when the circumstances are as strange and unsettling as those surrounding the death of Chinese actor Yu Menglong, grief quickly turns to suspicion and a cascade of unanswered questions. Best known for his role in the drama The Legend of White Snake, Yu Menglong's official cause of death was reported by state-controlled media as a fall from his residential building in Beijing on 11 September 2025.

Yet, as reports from Wio News and other outlets have revealed, whispers of something far more sinister have begun to circulate, with shocking claims linking his body to a prestigious art museum in Beijing. The story that is emerging is stranger than any script he ever performed.

The Museum's Secrets and the Body of Yu Menglong

The central, most disturbing claim, first shared by independent Chinese commentators, connects the actor's remains to the Qihai Art Museum. According to a report by Vision Times, it is alleged that Yu's body was not cremated, as would be expected. Instead, it was secretly preserved in a restricted cold-storage area within the museum.

A purported whistleblower from inside the facility has made a startling claim: Yu's body appeared to have been treated with formalin and might be undergoing biological plastination. This is a complex preservation process, famously used in the controversial 'Body Worlds' art exhibitions, in which body tissue is replaced by polymers. It is a procedure with no logical place in the final rites of a popular actor, raising immediate and chilling questions about the true events following his death.

A Midnight Move and the Mystery Surrounding Yu Menglong

Adding weight to these allegations are further details from the whistleblower's account. They reportedly claimed to have witnessed a clandestine operation in the dead of night.

'At around three in the morning, Yan Shijie, director of the Red Brick Art Museum, came up with a team to move from the tunnel', the source stated. 'He was covered only by a black cloth. I saw purple marks on his ankles.'

This detail suggests potential signs of struggle or injury inconsistent with the official report of a simple fall. It is unclear if the Qihai and Red Brick Art Museums are connected in this matter, or if the whistleblower is implicating two separate, high-profile institutions in the alleged cover-up.

The account suggests Yu's body was moved to the museum's deepest basement level, B4. An order was allegedly given for all staff to stay away from the area, with the threat of serious consequences for anyone who dared to approach.

This level of secrecy and the involvement of a high-profile museum director only deepen the mystery and fuel speculation about what is being hidden.

Trapped by Contract: The Professional Struggles of Yu Menglong

While the events after his death are shocking, details about Yu Menglong's professional life paint a picture of an artist under immense pressure. It has been reported that fellow actress Yang Mi, who had starred alongside him, once tried to sign him to her own agency, a move that could have offered him new opportunities.

However, his management company, Tianyu Media, allegedly refused to release him. The contract was said to contain strict clauses that left him professionally trapped and with little control over his career path. This context adds another layer to the tragedy, suggesting a man who may have been struggling against powerful forces both in life and, as some now suspect, even after death.

Online commentators now speculate that the same powerful forces that controlled his career may have had an interest in controlling the narrative—and even the physical remains—after his death.

Born in Ürümqi, Xinjiang, Yu was a graduate of the Beijing Performing Arts Training College and had starred in several popular shows, including Eternal Love, All Out of Love, My Loving Home, and Xuan-Yuan Sword: Han Cloud. His death on September 11, at just 37 years old, leaves behind a legacy now shrouded in a deeply unsettling enigma.

The official narrative of Yu Menglong's death leaves more questions than answers, creating a disturbing puzzle where reports of a tragic accident clash with sinister allegations. As the mystery deepens, the public is left to wonder what secrets are being guarded behind museum walls.

What do you believe is the truth behind this tragedy? Join the discussion online and share your theories on the unsettling case of Yu Menglong.