The Henan Provincial Xinxiang City Procuratorate of the Chinese Communist Party announced today (March 20) the indictment of the former abbot of the Shaolin Temple, Shi Yongxin. Shi Yongxin is accused of four offenses, including an additional charge of bribery compared to when he was arrested last year. It is believed by the public that Shi Yongxin’s downfall is not due to the so-called “anti-corruption” campaign, but because his backers have fallen.
According to China Central Television (CCTV), the Xinxiang City Procuratorate filed a lawsuit against Shi Yongxin (formerly known as Liu Yingcheng) on Friday (March 20), accusing him of alleged embezzlement of duties, misappropriation of funds, non-state personnel bribery, and bribery.
Shi Yongxin became a monk at the Shaolin Temple at the age of 16, studying under the then abbot Shi Yanzheng. In 1987, at the age of 22, Shi Yongxin became the director of the Shaolin Temple Management Committee, overseeing the affairs of the temple. In 1999, Shi Yongxin assumed the position of abbot of the Shaolin Temple until he was ousted last year, serving for 26 years.
Shi Yongxin was investigated in July last year, and the Shaolin Temple management office reported that he was suspected of criminal offenses, misappropriating project funds and temple assets; flagrantly violating Buddhist precepts by maintaining improper relationships with multiple women and having illegitimate children, sparking widespread public outcry over the details.
In November last year, Shi Yongxin was arrested on charges of embezzlement of duties, misappropriation of funds, and bribery. The prosecution this time has added a charge of bribery, which has attracted attention.
The 61-year-old Shi Yongxin, who calls himself the “Buddhist CEO,” established Henan Shaolin Intangible Asset Management Co., Ltd. in 2008, fully owned by the Shaolin Temple on Song Mountain. Shi Yongxin once held 80% of the shares of Henan Shaolin Intangible Asset Management Co., Ltd., later succeeded by Shi Yongfu as the actual controlling shareholder.
Shi Yongxin has also been dubbed a “political monk,” having served as a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference in 2020, as well as the president of the Henan Buddhist Association and vice president of the China Buddhist Association.
Shi Yongxin was reported by fellow monks many years ago for maintaining a mistress and having illegitimate children, as well as embezzling assets of the Shaolin Temple. However, the matter was ultimately swept under the rug. In July last year, authorities suddenly announced Shi Yongxin’s downfall. The official charges announced align with the previously reported allegations. Public opinion analysis suggests that Shi Yongxin’s downfall is not due to the so-called “anti-corruption” campaign, but because his backers have turned against him.
Chinese affairs expert Henghe once told the Epoch Times that the earliest supporter of Shi Yongxin was the former Standing Committee member of the Jiang faction, Li Changchun. Shi Yongxin has gone through the tenures of Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao, and Xi Jinping, all three generations of CCP leaders, with ease, especially regarding his commercial empire, having the support of these three individuals, implying that each Standing Committee member may have been his backer, and even all three leaders could have been his patrons.