A Chinese court delivered a 24-year prison sentence on Friday to the former leader of the world-famous Shaolin Temple following his conviction on corruption charges, including fund misappropriation and bribery, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
Shi Yongxin, born Liu Yingcheng, received an additional financial penalty of 3.5 million yuan (approximately $516,000) from the court located in central Henan province following his trial.
According to CCTV’s report, the court determined that Shi exploited his leadership roles, including his position as temple abbot, to unlawfully steal more than 131 million yuan ($19 million) either independently or through collaboration with accomplices from 2003 to 2025. Court findings also revealed that between 2012 and 2022, Shi diverted funds exceeding 151 million yuan (roughly $22 million) for his own purposes for periods longer than three months without returning the money, among additional discoveries.
The court emphasized that Shi’s offenses involved substantial sums, his bribery violations were exceptionally grave, and his illegal activities spanned an extended timeframe.
“They caused severely harmful consequences and adverse social impact,” CCTV reported the court as saying.
According to CCTV, Shi admitted to his wrongdoing, willingly revealed information that investigators had not yet uncovered, and demonstrated regret.
The previous year, the Shaolin Temple publicly announced that Shi was being investigated for suspected misappropriation and theft of project funding and temple property.
Shi also faced accusations of engaging in criminal behavior and breaking Buddhist rules through long-term relationships with several women and having at least one child, based on an announcement from the temple leadership posted on their WeChat account during that period.
The Shaolin Temple’s reputation, also located in Henan, extends far beyond its religious significance. The temple has gained worldwide recognition for its martial arts traditions, particularly kung fu, which has appeared in numerous films and television productions, including the 1982 movie “The Shaolin Temple,” featuring martial arts icon Jet Li.
In 2015, China’s official news agency Xinhua described Shi as a “CEO monk” and noted that he had generated debate for establishing business ventures to market kung fu performances and related products.
