Shi Yongxin, former abbot of the world-famous Shaolin Temple in Central China's Henan province, was sentenced to 24 years in prison on Friday for multiple crimes, including embezzlement and bribery, a local court said.

Shi was also fined 3.5 million yuan ($517,000), according to the Xinxiang Intermediate People's Court.

The court found that between 2003 and 2025, Shi, whose birth name is Liu Yingcheng, used his positions as abbot of the temple and president of the Shaolin charity and welfare foundation to embezzle more than 131 million yuan.

From 2012 to 2022, he misappropriated more than 151 million yuan from the organizations for personal use and failed to repay the money for more than three months.

Beginning in July 2006, Liu sought benefits for others in matters including temple construction projects and business operations, and accepted bribes totaling more than 11.63 million yuan in return.

From 1995 to 2022, he also offered more than 5.67 million yuan in bribes to State officials in exchange for illicit gains.

The court said Liu's actions constituted embezzlement, misappropriation of funds and bribery. He deserved severe punishment because the amounts involved were "particularly large", the bribery offenses were "particularly serious", the crimes lasted for a "long duration", the consequences were "severe", and the social impact was "extremely negative".

It added that Liu confessed after being apprehended and voluntarily disclosed additional criminal activities previously unknown to investigators. The judgment, the court said, was based on the facts, nature and circumstances of his offenses, as well as the degree of harm caused to society.

After the verdict was announced, Liu said he accepted the ruling and would not appeal to a higher court.

The Buddhist Association of China stated on Friday that the ruling demonstrates the principle of equality before the law and serves as a strong warning to the Buddhist community. It emphasized that members of the Buddhist community must strengthen their legal awareness and clearly recognize that no religion is above the law. The verdict also encourages Buddhists to voluntarily abide by the law, uphold ethical conduct, and act with discipline and integrity, it added.

On July 27, 2025, the temple announced that Shi was under investigation. The Buddhist Association of China said the following day that it had revoked Shi's ordination certificate, which serves as proof of admission into the monastic community.

A native of Anhui province, the 60-year-old became a monk in 1981 and had served as the temple's 30th abbot since 1999. As a world-renowned Buddhist sanctuary and the birthplace of kung fu, the temple attracts thousands of disciples from around the world each year.

caoyin@chinadaily.com.cn