<figure id="attachment_3210949" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3210949" style="width: 1600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-3210949 size-full" src="https://media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/5ff08379-afp__20251116__846x49e__v1__midres__fileschinabriberybuddhismwushu_cropped_1.webp" alt="" width="1600" height="1000" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-3210949" class="wp-caption-text">Shi Yongxin, the ex-abbot of the Shaolin Temple, was removed in July for &#8216;extremely&#8217; bad behaviour. (AFP pic)</figcaption></figure>
BEIJING: The former head of the Chinese temple known as the birthplace of kung fu has been arrested over suspicion of embezzlement, local authorities said today.
Shi Yongxin, the ex-abbot of the Shaolin Temple, was removed in July for &#8220;extremely&#8221; bad behaviour.
Allegations of misappropriating project funds and temple assets saw him placed under investigation and disrobed.
Authorities in central Henan province, where the Shaolin Temple is, approved Shi&#8217;s arrest on &#8220;suspicion of embezzlement, misappropriating funds and accepting bribes as a non-state employee&#8221;, the Xinxiang Procuratorate said in a statement.
Shi, 60, took office as abbot in 1999 and in the following decades expanded Shaolin studies and cultural knowledge overseas.
He became known as the &#8220;CEO monk&#8221; for establishing dozens of companies abroad &#8211; but received a backlash for commercialising Buddhism.
He had previously been accused by former monks of embezzling money from a temple-run company, maintaining a fleet of luxury cars and fathering children with multiple women.
In July, Beijing&#8217;s top Buddhist authority said it was cancelling Shi&#8217;s certificate of ordination after fresh claims.
&#8220;Shi Yongxin&#8217;s actions are of an extremely bad nature, seriously undermining the reputation of the Buddhist community, hurting the image of monks,&#8221; the Buddhist Association of China said at the time.
The temple, established in AD 495, is known as the birthplace of Zen Buddhism and Chinese kung fu.

MatchPoint Times

Ex-abbot of China’s Shaolin Temple arrested for embezzlement

Allegations of misappropriating project funds and temple assets saw Shi Yongxin placed under investigation and disrobed.

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