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.
19 Articles
19 Articles
A former abbot of the famous Buddhist Shaolin Monastery near Zhengzhou in China, Shi Yongxin, has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for decades of corrupt practices.
The Toronto Star
The Hamilton SpectatorFormer abbot of China’s famous Shaolin Temple sentenced to 24 years in prison for corruption
BEIJING (AP) — A Chinese court on Friday sentenced a former abbot of China’s famous Shaolin Temple to 24 years in prison after he was found guilty of offences including
Ottumwa Courier
Former abbot of China's famous Shaolin Temple sentenced to 24 years in prison for corruption
A Chinese court has sentenced Shi Yongxin, former abbot of the country's famous Shaolin Temple, to 24 years in prison for misappropriation of funds and bribery. State broadcaster CCTV reported the court found Shi embezzled over 131 million yuan ($19…
Channel News Asia
The Straits TimesDefrocked Shaolin abbot given 24 years in jail for embezzlement
According to the court, Liu Yingcheng, who as abbot went by the name Shi Yongxin, embezzled assets worth more than 131 million yuan (US$19.4 million) from 2003 to 2025.
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