Former Shaolin Temple's head sentenced to 24 years, state media reports
The court said he abused temple and charity posts to take bribes and divert funds over nearly three decades.
- On Friday, a Henan court sentenced Liu Yingcheng, former abbot of the Shaolin Temple, to 24 years in prison for embezzlement and bribery involving around 300 million yuan over nearly three decades.
- Authorities removed Liu from his post in July 2025 following an investigation into misappropriated project funds and temple assets, leading to his defrocking for "extremely" bad behavior.
- The Xinxiang Intermediate People's Court stated Liu "took advantage of his positions as temple abbot and president of the Shaolin Charity Welfare Foundation," embezzling more than 131 million yuan from 2003 to 2025.
- Describing his crimes as "particularly huge" with "enormous" social impact, the court fined Liu 3.5 million yuan; he stated he would not appeal the verdict.
- Public reaction on Weibo remains mixed, with some users cheering the sentencing while others commented, "Crimes deserve punishment," or expressed hope for Liu's reform.
45 Articles
45 Articles
Defrocked Shaolin abbot given 24 years in prison for embezzlement
The former head of China’s famed Shaolin Temple was sentenced to 24 years in jail for crimes including embezzlement and bribery that spanned three decades, a court said on Friday. Shi Yongxin, the abbot of Shaolin Temple, at the famous temple in China’s Henan province on November 8, 2009. Photo: Peter Parks/AFP. Liu Yingcheng, who as abbot went by the name Shi Yongxin, was removed from his post in July 2025 for “extremely” bad behaviour. He was …
Prominent Chinese monk Shi Yongxin has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for years of bribery and embezzlement. As abbot of the famous Buddhist Shaolin Monastery in the mountains near the megacity of Zhengzhou, he allegedly siphoned off around 38 million euros. The 60-year-old Shi pleaded guilty, reports the Chinese state news agency CCTV. He also expressed remorse. The monk has not only received a prison sentence but must also pay a fine of …
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