Yu Kongjian, pioneer of sponge cities, dies in Brazil plane crashCEFR A1
29 Sept 2025
Adapted from Global Voices Brazil, Global Voices • CC BY 3.0
Photo by Ian Talmacs, Unsplash
- Yu Kongjian, 62, died in a plane crash.
- He was a Chinese landscape architect and professor.
- Yu founded Turenscape and taught at Peking University.
- The group made a documentary about sponge cities.
- Pilot Marcelo Pereira de Barros died.
- Filmmaker Luiz Fernando Feres da Cunha Ferraz died.
- Filmmaker Rubens Crispim Jr died.
- The crash took place in the Pantanal, Brazil.
- It happened on September 23, 2025 and investigation continues.
Difficult words
- crash — A sudden and violent collision or accident.the crash
- die — To stop living.died
- architect — A person who designs buildings.
- documentary — A film or program that gives facts.
- cause — The reason something happens.
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- What do you think about plane safety?
- Why is Yu Kongjian important?
- What could improve documentary filmmaking?
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