China appoints new abbot of Shaolin Temple after sacking predecessor over corruption, sex scandals

China has appointed a new abbot to the Shaolin Temple in central Henan province after authorities at the Buddhist monastery announced that Shi Yongxin, its head monk for more than 25 years, is being investigated for alleged financial and sex scandals. Shi Yinle, 59, who is currently abbot of the White Horse Temple and is also deputy head of the Henan Provincial Buddhist Association will replace Shi Yongxin, said a statement from the Shaolin Temple on Tuesday. “In accordance with the regulations on the appointment of abbots of Chinese Buddhist Temples, after democratic evaluation and approval by the Shaolin Temple and following the relevant procedures, Venerable Yinle was invited to be the abbot of the Shaolin Temple,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, the Buddhist credentials of disgraced former abbot Shi Yongxin have been revoked, and companies linked to him have been deregistered.

“Shi’s actions are extremely bad, seriously damaging the reputation of the Buddhist community and the image of monks,” the association said. No individual was above the law or the moral standards of their faith, the association added, emphasising its commitment to uphold the discipline and integrity of the Buddhist community.

The Shaolin Temple, established over 1,500 years ago in China’s central Henan province, is the birthplace of Zen Buddhism and a Unesco World Heritage site, famous as the cradle of Shaolin kung fu, while the White Horse Temple, also in Henan, was the first Buddhist temple in China established under the patronage of Emperor Ming of the Eastern Han dynasty.

President Xi Jinping visited the White Horse Temple in May as part of an inspection tour to Henan.

The new abbot, Shi Yinle, was born in southern Henan’s Tongbai county in 1966 and ordained at the Tongbai Mountain Temple at the age of 16. After training at the Qixia Temple in eastern China, he went to study at the Chinese Buddhist Academy in 1986.

After graduating in 1990, Shi Yinle joined the Henan Provincial Buddhist Association. In 2003, the association appointed him to serve at the White Horse Temple, where he was promoted to abbot two years later.

The Shaolin Temple also accuses the former abbot of maintaining improper relationships with multiple women for a long time and having children with them, violating the vow of celibacy required of Buddhist monks.

A vendor near the temple said Shi’s misconduct as a “playboy monk” had “tarnished the image of Buddhism” and added that business had “dipped slightly” over the past few days because of the scandal.

Shi Yongxin, the controversial “CEO monk”, was ordained in 1981 and took full control of the Shaolin Temple in 1999, after which he transformed it from a crumbling monastic compound into a multibillion-dollar global brand. He is known as the first Chinese abbot to hold a master’s degree in business administration.

Under his leadership, the temple started opening schools outside China and formed a travelling troupe of monks who performed shows of Shaolin kung fu—the temple’s signature style of martial arts.

The Shaolin Temple is a globally recognised Buddhist sanctuary and draws thousands of disciples annually, including many from overseas.