Former student leaders and activists in the 1989 Tiananmen protests are paying tribute to the late Chinese poet Lao Mu, praising his inspiring efforts to transform Chinese politics through poetry.

Lao was an iconic figure in China’s Misty Poetry movement, and a graduate of Peking University where he studied the Chinese language.

The poet, whose real name was Liu Weiguo, died last week in the countryside of Pingxiang, Jiangxi province. He was 57.

Lao was an active participant of the 1989 Tiananmen protests and left China following the bloody June 4 crackdown. He lived in exile in France for 26 years, suffering from mental illness, until his family brought him back to China five years ago.

The poet was a former classmate of China’s current Deputy Prime Minister Hu Chunhua, with whom he produced a school publication.

Condolence messages have appeared on social media from student leaders and activists in the 1989 campaign, including Wang Dan and poet Liao Yiwu.

A group statement from the iconic leaders of that movement said Lao’s achievements and contributions should be remembered, and vowed to continue his efforts to fight for freedom and democracy. They included Wang, Wuer Kaixi, Zhou Fengsuo, Wang Juntao and Wu Ping.

Lao, who had contracted lung cancer, fell down on the evening of Nov. 26, puncturing a liver tumor. He was never married and was alone at the time. He died the following morning, according to a Sing Tao Daily report.

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