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On May 29, 2026, Shi Yongxin, the former abbot of the renowned Shaolin Temple, was sentenced to 24 years in prison for multiple graft-related crimes .

The verdict was delivered by the Intermediate People's Court of Xinxiang City in Henan Province . Shi Yongxin, whose birth name is Liu Yingcheng, was convicted on four charges: embezzlement, misappropriation of funds, acceptance of bribes as a non-state functionary, and offering bribes .

The court found that between 2003 and 2025, Liu, while serving as abbot of Shaolin Temple and chairman of its affiliated charity foundation, embezzled over 131 million yuan (approximately 19.2 million U.S. dollars) of temple assets, either alone or in collusion with others . He also misappropriated more than 151 million yuan of the temple's funds for personal use between 2012 and 2022 .

Furthermore, since July 2006, Liu used his position to help others secure the temple's construction projects and business opportunities in exchange for cash and valuables totaling over 11.63 million yuan . Between 1995 and 2022, he also offered more than 5.67 million yuan in bribes to state functionaries to seek improper benefits .

The court stated that the crimes involved exceptionally large sums of money and continued over a prolonged period, causing serious harm and a highly negative social impact, which warranted a severe punishment . In addition to the 24-year prison term, Liu was also fined 3.5 million yuan .

After the verdict, Liu expressed remorse, admitted his guilt, and said in court that he would not appeal the sentence . Following the ruling, the Buddhist Association of China issued a statement saying that the verdict reflects the principle that all are equal before the law and serves as a strong warning to the Buddhist community that there are no individuals, places, or religions above the law .