Ex-Shaolin Temple abbot sentenced to 24 years in jail
A Chinese court sentenced the former abbot of China’s famous Shaolin Temple to 24 years in prison after he was found guilty of crimes such as misappropriation of funds and bribery, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
Shi Yongxin, whose real name is Liu Yingcheng, was also fined 3.5 million yuan (about $720,000) by a court in the central Henan province after a hearing.
The court found that Shi used his positions, including as temple abbot, to illegally embezzle more than 131 million yuan between 2003 and 2025, either alone or in conspiracy with others, CCTV reported.
The report also said the court found, among other findings, that Shi misappropriated approximately 151 million yuan of funds for personal use for more than three months between 2012 and 2022 without repayment.
The court noted that Shi’s crimes were very large, his bribery crimes were particularly serious, and his criminal behavior continued for a long time.
“They cause seriously harmful consequences and negative social impact,” the court heard, CCTV reported.
CCTV added that Shi confessed to his crimes, voluntarily disclosed details that law enforcement had not yet discovered, and expressed remorse.
Last year, the Shaolin Temple announced that Shi was under investigation on suspicion of misappropriation and embezzlement of project funds and temple assets.
Shi also allegedly committed a crime and violated Buddhist principles by maintaining relationships with multiple women over a long period of time and having at least one child, according to a notice from the temple official on his WeChat account at the time.
The fame of the Shaolin Temple, also headquartered in Henan, has gone beyond a religious institution.
It is famous for its martial arts culture or kung fu; this culture has been referenced in many films and TV series, including the 1982 film Shaolin Temple starring martial arts superstar Jet Li.
Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported in 2015 that Shi was known as the “CEO monk” and sparked controversy over kung fu demonstrations and developing business operations to promote his products.
