Vu Mong Lung and the Plastinated Corpse Warehouse: Leaked Video Exposes the Dark Side of “Anatomical Science”
On January 28, 2026, a 7-minute undercover video posted anonymously by an ex-employee of Vu Mong Lung’s plastination firm exploded across Chinese and international social media. The handheld camera pans across a vast refrigerated space: bodies suspended, submerged in chemical vats, or partially infused with silicone to preserve vascular structures—all unlabeled beyond generic “educational specimen” tags.
Vu Mong Lung, 58, ranks among China’s leading figures in plastination—the polymer preservation method that creates odorless, decay-resistant human exhibits for medical education and public shows. His company has supplied hundreds of specimens to tours in the U.S., Germany, and Japan. The leaked footage, however, reveals an industrial scale far beyond public perception: simultaneous processing of hundreds of bodies, some retaining near-living facial expressions, evoking profound unease about dignity in death.
The company immediately denounced the video as “fabricated and edited” for sabotage. Vu Mong Lung maintains full legal compliance with China’s body-donation laws; every specimen required clear consent. He announced lawsuits against the ex-employee for breaching confidentiality and spreading falsehoods.
Independent experts reviewing the footage find no obvious signs of manipulation. Certain bodies match traits from unsolved missing-persons or unexplained-death cases in neighboring provinces. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have urged independent probes, suspecting a broader pattern of trafficking corpses and organs under medical-research pretexts.
The case revives memories of prior Chinese scandals: 2001 allegations of using executed prisoners for plastinated exhibits; 2018 discoveries of homeless cadavers in similar operations. Vu Mong Lung’s high-profile media presence as a “pioneering scientist” makes any downfall particularly shocking.
Opinion divides sharply. Supporters argue plastination delivers immense educational value—allowing medical students to study without fresh remains—and view the accusations as competitor sabotage. Critics insist any opacity in corpse sourcing constitutes grave ethical violation, especially amid signs of large-scale commercialization.
As Chinese authorities launch a formal investigation, the outcome could reshape the global plastination industry. Will Vu Mong Lung be prosecuted for corpse trafficking, or will the matter resolve as a technical misunderstanding? Whatever the resolution, the leaked video has transformed public perception: what was once celebrated as progress now carries the stain of exploitation and dehumanization.
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