Overview
- Authorities say the case centers on suspected embezzlement of temple funds and bribery, with no detailed charges disclosed.
- Investigations have been underway since at least July, when Shi was removed as abbot and stripped of his credentials by China’s Buddhist Association for what it called extreme misconduct.
- The detention revives earlier controversies, including decade-old reports of relationships and misused funds that a subsequent inquiry said were unfounded.
- Chinese state media had labeled Shi a “CEO monk” for expanding Shaolin through shows and merchandise, a commercialization drive that drew criticism.
- The Shaolin Temple, founded in 495 in Henan and famed for its kung fu tradition, attracts millions of visitors each year; Shi joined in 1981 and became abbot in 1999.