Chinese Singer-Actor Zhang Yiyang Executed for Murdering 16-Year-Old Girlfriend

Chinese actor and singer Zhang Yiyang was executed by firing squad on December 18, 2024, after being convicted of murdering his 16-year-old girlfriend. The execution was confirmed by the Intermediate People’s Court of Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province, and reported publicly in July 2025.

Zhang, 33, had begun dating the underage victim in September 2021. On February 26, 2022, he purportedly lured her to a remote forest near Xingping City under the pretext of celebrating his birthday. The two argued after she attempted to end their relationship, and Zhang stabbed her multiple times in the neck with a folding knife. Medical examiners determined she died from severe neck injuries causing massive bleeding and mechanical asphyxiation.

Following the crime, Zhang allegedly disposed of the victim’s phone and his blood-stained clothes in a local reservoir and later attempted suicide in a hotel. He was found by staff, arrested, and charged with intentional homicide. He appealed the death sentence, but both the provincial High Court and the Supreme People’s Court upheld the verdict. Zhang is believed to be the first known Chinese entertainer to receive capital punishment.

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