He Yong (born 15 February 1969 in Beijing) is a Chinese rock musician who has been particularly active in the 1980s and 1990s. A self-styled punk, He Yong's lyrics and outspoken nature have made him controversial in mainland China and Hong Kong. His only album, Garbage Dump, exemplified his negative, though often nostalgic perspective toward life. He is regarded as one of the pioneers of Chinese rock.
Biography
From the age of six He Yong began learning music from his father He Yusheng (何玉声), a professional sanxian (three-string snakeskin banjo) player. In 1980, he appeared in the children's movie Four Little Friends (四个小伙伴). Other songs, however, such as "Pretty Girl" and "Drum and Bell Tower", explore issues including materialism, environmentalism, gender issues and heritage conservation. Around this time He Yong became known as one of the "Three prominents of Moyan" (魔岩三杰) along with Dou Wei and Zhang Chu, after their record company Moyan Culture (魔岩文化).