Prominent Chinese monk Shi Yongxin has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for years of bribery and embezzlement. As abbot of the famous Buddhist Shaolin Monastery in the mountains near the megacity Zhengzhou, he is said to have siphoned off around 38 million euros.

The 60-year-old Shi has pleaded guilty, reports the Chinese state news agency CCTV. He has also expressed regret. The monk will not only receive a prison sentence, but he must also pay a fine of more than 440,000 euros, the judge has ruled.

In 1999, Shi became head of the monastery and temple. He then founded several companies to earn money for the complex. Critics accused him of commercializing Buddhism. It earned Shi the nickname ‘CEO Monk’.

Last year, an investigation was started into the monk for embezzlement and misuse of project funds and temple assets. In July, Shi was removed from his position.

The Shaolin Temple is known for its religious significance, but certainly also for the martial art kung fu. One of the many references to the complex in films, TV series and music is the classic The Shaolin Temple(opens in new window) from 1982. That was the film debut and breakthrough as an actor of former martial artist Jet Li.