Yu’s management agency confirmed his death on Thursday, with police ruling out any foul play. No further details about the circumstances of his passing have been released.

Born in 1988 in Xinjiang, Yu entered the entertainment industry in 2007 by participating in Shanghai Media Group’s talent show “My Show! My Style!,” where he reached the Top 16 for Xi’an province. According to Swampin 2010, he competed in Hunan TV’s male singing contest “Super Boy” but was eliminated. Yu returned to the show in 2013, advancing to the Top 10 and releasing his first single “Just Nice” the same year.

Their reported that Yu made his acting debut in the 2011 short film “The Little Prince” and starred in the short film “The Rules” in 2014, which received Best Independent Film at the 4th International Micro Film Festival for University.

2015 marked a major turning point in Yu’s career, per The Times of India. He gained international recognition for his role in the period drama “Go Princess Go,” while his song “Go Home and Have the Spring Festival” became a viral hit. In the following years, he starred in several popular dramas, including the 2017 fantasy-romance hit “Eternal Love” alongside Yang Mi, Mark Chao, and Dilraba Dilmurat, as well as “Xuan-Yuan Sword: Han Cloud” with Zhang Yunlong.

Yu continued to shine in 2019, appearing in the television adaptation of the Chinese folktale “Legend of the White Snake” with Ju Jingyi, the modern workplace drama “Who’s Not Rebellious Youth,” and the youth sports drama “Unstoppable Youth.” In 2020, he starred in the historical drama “The Love Lasts Two Minds.”

Alongside his acting career, Yu released two music albums: “Toy” in 2015 and “Yu Menglong” in 2017. His work earned him multiple awards, including Best New Artist at the 2017 Weibo TV Online Video Awards, Most Popular All-Rounded Artist at the 2017 Asian Music Gala, and Breakthrough Actor of the Year at the 2019 Golden Bud – Fourth Network Film and Television Festival.

The actor was also renowned for his professionalism. While filming “The Love Lasts Two Minds,” Yu was accidentally injured in the eye by a prop, affecting his vision and causing some viewers to comment on his “dull and lifeless” eyes when the drama aired. Despite this, Yu chose not to publicly explain the injury, instead posting on social media: “It’s true that my performance wasn’t perfect, but I will work harder.”

According to Sohu, Yu was one of China’s most sought-after actors, spending much of the past six months on set. He completed filming the fantasy period drama “Journey to the End of the Night” in late June. He also had two films set for release this year: “The Fated General” and “Traditional Chinese Medicine.”

Yu was one of China’s most-followed celebrities, with over 26 million followers on Weibo. His posts, often featuring gym workouts, flower walks, and daily strolls, regularly drew over 10,000 comments. His last public appearance was on May 31, performing during CCTV’s Dragon Boat Festival program, where viewers praised his performance and Tang Dynasty-inspired costume for exuding Eastern charm.