China’s famous Shaolin Temple announced on Sunday that its abbot is under investigation on suspicion of misappropriation and embezzlement of project funds and temple assets.
Shi Yongxin was alleged to have committed criminal offenses and seriously violated the Buddhist precepts by maintaining relationships with multiple women over a long period and fathering at least one child, according to a notice from the temple’s authority on its WeChat account.
The notice said multiple departments were conducting a joint investigation against Shi Yongxin, and relevant findings would be announced to the public in due course.
The fame of the Shaolin Temple, based in the central Chinese province of Henan, has gone beyond a religious institution. It is also famous for its martial arts culture, or kung fu, which has been referenced in many movies and TV dramas, including the 1982 film “The Shaolin Temple,” starring martial arts superstar Jet Li.
The news about Shi Yongxin, whose original name Liu Yingcheng, ranked top on Chinese search engine Baidu and X-like social media platform Weibo on Sunday night.
Local media reported that the abbot had been hit by scandalous accusations in the past, including claims that he fathered several children and embezzled money. According to news outlet Caixin Global, provincial investigation reports exonerated him of all charges in 2016.
Shi Yongxin entered Shaolin Temple in 1981 and became its abbot in 1999, according to the temple’s website. Xinhua in 2015 reported that he was known as a “CEO monk,” as one of the first Chinese monks to obtain an MBA, and he had sparked controversy for developing commercial operations like lucrative kung fu shows and merchandise.
Earlier on Sunday, Chinese local media outlets reported that authorities had dismissed an online notice claiming Shi Yongxin was intercepted by authorities while trying to flee with his mistresses and children as fake.
