(Yicai) July 28 -- The abbot of China’s Shaolin Temple, whose Buddhist monks are renowned for their mastery of kung fu, is under investigation for alleged criminal offenses.

Shi Yongxin is being jointly investigated by multiple government departments on suspicion of embezzlement and misappropriation of project funds and temple assets, among other criminal offenses, the monastery said in a statement yesterday.

He is also suspected of violating Buddhist precepts by maintaining improper relationships with multiple women and fathering at least one child, it added. Chinese Buddhism strictly prohibits monks from getting married and having children.

Nestling in the Songshan mountain range of central China's Henan province, Shaolin Temple is not only an important cradle of Zen Buddhism but is also a world-famous tourist attraction. Shi, a well-known figure in Chinese Buddhism known as the “CEO Monk,” has played a major role in promoting the institution.

Born in 1965, Shi became a monk in 1981, started managing the Shaolin Temple's affairs in 1987, and became its 30th abbot in 1999. Since 1998 he has also been a deputy to the National People's Congress, and since 2002, deputy head of the Buddhist Association of China.

The MBA degree-holder’s public image has long been that of a capable administrator. But while achieving considerable success in the temple’s commercial operations, he has also attracted widespread controversy. Previous allegations against him were ultimately dropped without resolution.

Shi is associated with 10 companies, including four temples in Henan and the Buddhist association in the city of Zhengzhou, according to data from corporate information platform Tianyancha. The other five, involved in highway development, industrial development, network engineering, and cultural communications, have been deregistred.

Business Empire

Shi set up Shaolin Temple’s first company in 1998, leveraging its cultural cachet to develop tourism resources and products related to the monastery. That company was also the first ever founded by a Buddhist temple in China.

The venture’s success, combined with Shaolin Temple’s legendary cultural stature, soon made Shi a household name. After the temple launched its own account on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, in 2021, Shi’s personal profile amassed over 10 million followers in under six months.

Under Shi’s leadership, Shaolin Temple quickly became a commercial empire. Its annual income from tourism alone once equalled about a third of the annual fiscal revenue of Dengfeng, the monastery’s home city.

Sales of its own health products topped CNY80 million (USD11.6 million) in 2019. Shaloin Temple’s online sales are impressive too. In its inaugural year on Taobao in 2020, the temple’s online shop generated sales of CNY23 million.

The teaching of martial arts is also a big source of income. Kung fu courses taught by Shaolin warrior monks usually last five years, with annual tuition fees that have historically topped CNY10,000 (USD1,400).

French basketball player Victor Wembanyama, who plays for San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association, completed a 10-day special training at Shaolin Temple in June, becoming the first NBA player to be awarded a degree in Shaolin martial arts. 

Editors: Tang Shihua, Futura Costaglione