The former abbot who led China's Shaolin Temple, the birthplace of kung fu, for more than 25 years has received a heavy prison sentence on charges of embezzling and accepting bribes worth tens of billions of won.
According to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency on Tuesday, the Xinxiang Intermediate People's Court in Henan Province sentenced Liu Yingcheng, known by his Buddhist name Shi Yongxin, to 24 years in prison and a fine of 3.5 million yuan (about 780 million won) the previous day on charges of occupational embezzlement, misappropriation of funds, and the giving and receiving of bribes.
The court determined that Liu had abused his position over a period of approximately 30 years to embezzle and misappropriate a total of 300 million yuan (about 66.8 billion won). Liu reportedly admitted his guilt and indicated he would not appeal.
Immediately after the verdict was made public, the Buddhist Association of China said the ruling "demonstrated the principle that all are equal before the law" and "serves as a strong warning and wake-up call for figures in the Buddhist community." The association also emphasized that the verdict against Liu was a result he had brought upon himself.
Born in 1965, Liu was considered one of China's most prominent Buddhist monks. After entering the Shaolin Temple in 1981 and rising to abbot in 1999, he controlled the temple for more than 25 years until his ouster last year.
He was also known as the "CEO of Shaolin Temple" for successfully expanding various revenue-generating businesses, including kung fu performances, film productions, and souvenir sales.
However, in July last year, the Shaolin Temple's management office officially announced an investigation into criminal charges against Liu, and the Buddhist Association of China immediately stripped him of his monastic status the following day.
Separately from this case, allegations have also surfaced that Liu maintained inappropriate relationships with multiple women and fathered at least one illegitimate child. In 2015, monks from the Shaolin Temple reported various allegations to authorities under their real names, including sexual scandals and embezzlement of public funds, but the Henan Provincial Religious Affairs Bureau concluded after several months of investigation that the allegations were unfounded.
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