Former abbot of Shaolin Temple sentenced to 24 years in prison.

Former Shaolin Temple abbot Shi Yongxin has been sentenced to 24 years in prison. Photo: Chinanews Service

On May 29, the Intermediate People's Court of Xinxiang City, Henan Province (China) handed down a first-instance verdict against the former abbot of Shaolin Temple, Shi Yongxin (real name Liu Yingcheng).

According to the court ruling, former Shaolin Temple abbot Shi Yongxin committed the crimes of misappropriation of assets, illegal use of funds, accepting bribes from non-government officials, and giving bribes. Combining the sentences, the court decided to impose a 24-year prison sentence due to the exceptionally serious nature of the case.

The court determined that, between 2003 and 2025, Shi Yongxin abused his position as abbot of Shaolin Temple and chairman of the Shaolin Charity Foundation to embezzle assets from the institution totaling over 131 million yuan. Furthermore, from 2012 to 2022, Shi Yongxin illegally used over 151 million yuan for personal purposes, failing to repay the funds within the stipulated timeframe.

Furthermore, since 2006, Shi Yongxin has been accused of exploiting his support for individuals and businesses involved in construction and business activities related to the Shaolin Temple to receive bribes totaling over 11.63 million yuan. Simultaneously, between 1995 and 2022, Shi Yongxin also allegedly bribed government officials with over 5.67 million yuan.

The court determined that Thich Vinh Tin's criminal activities spanned many years, involved exceptionally large sums of money, had serious consequences, and negatively impacted society; therefore, he needed to be severely punished according to the law.

On the same day, the Buddhist Association of China issued a statement asserting that the verdict clearly demonstrated the principle of equality before the law for all citizens, while emphasizing that the incident was entirely the fault of Shi Yongxin himself and served as a strong warning to the Buddhist community.

The Buddhist Association of China urged monks, nuns, and Buddhist followers to raise their national, civic, and legal awareness, recognizing that "no organization, individual, or sector is above the law." At the same time, the association stated that it will continue to promote educational activities on law compliance, upholding precepts, and building a clean image for Buddhism.

Shi Yongxin is considered one of the most controversial figures in Chinese religious circles. He has served as the abbot of Shaolin Temple since 1999 and has strongly promoted commercialization, expanding the Shaolin Temple brand into tourism , film, and business, earning him the nickname "CEO of Shaolin."

However, over the years, he has also faced a series of accusations related to the commercialization of religion, violations of precepts, and personal life. In July 2025, Thich Vinh Tin was investigated by authorities; in November of the same year, he was arrested on related charges.

Following the incident, the Buddhist Association of China issued new regulations for the position of abbot, limiting the number of terms and the total time spent in office to strengthen supervision and tighten discipline in religious activities.

Source: https://znews.vn/cuu-tru-tri-thieu-lam-tu-bi-tuyen-an-24-nam-tu-post1655664.html