It is reported that Shi Yongxin, the 'internet celebrity abbot' of Songshan Shaolin Temple in Henan, China, has been taken away for investigation. The head of external affairs at Shaolin Temple said, 'He hasn’t been seen recently, please wait for official information.'
Since the morning of the 26th, rumors have been circulating online in China that Shi Yongxin has been taken away for investigation. In response, Phoenix Weekly called the Shaolin Temple guest hall for confirmation, but the phone was always turned off. Phoenix Weekly then contacted three monks from Shaolin Temple for verification and was respectively told: 'Wait for official information,' 'Not clear,' and another call was hung up.
Jimu News, a new media outlet under Hubei Daily, reported that Shi Yongxin’s personal Weibo was opened on March 20, 2018; as of July 24 this year, Shi Yongxin’s Weibo account has been open for 2683 days, with a total of 4005 posts, averaging about 1.5 posts per day. To date, Shi Yongxin’s Weibo has 878,000 followers.
However, Shi Yongxin’s Weibo suddenly stopped updating recently, with the last post published at 6:58 am on July 24. Below this post, some netizens commented: 'Changed place to eat vegetarian meals?' 'Quickly think of a way to save out master!' 'Reform well.' 'Karma is inescapable.'
The self-media WeChat account 'Media School' posted on the 26th: 'Recently, there is news that the abbot Shi so-and-so of a certain famous millennia-old temple in the Central Plains region has been taken away for investigation, the specific reason is unclear.' This article quickly attracted public attention.
Fu Song, a former investigative reporter who worked at Chinese outlets such as The Beijing News and Red Star News, quoted an informed source on his WeChat public account 'Circle of Friends Chasing the Moon and Counting Stars' on the 26th, confirming, 'Shi Yongxin has been taken away for investigation.' The source also said the investigation may not be related to economic issues.
Public information shows that the 59-year-old Shi Yongxin is from Yingshang County, Fuyang City, Anhui Province, and is currently the Vice President of the 10th Council of the Chinese Buddhist Association. He has been involved in scandals such as 'caught for prostitution', 'keeping a mistress who studied at Peking University', and 'having an illegitimate daughter', but these rumors eventually led nowhere.
Shi Yongxin has actively promoted Shaolin Temple overseas and developed various financial resources; some people call him the 'Shaolin CEO', 'economical monk', and 'political monk.'
Since the morning of the 26th, rumors have been circulating online in China that Shi Yongxin has been taken away for investigation. In response, Phoenix Weekly called the Shaolin Temple guest hall for confirmation, but the phone was always turned off. Phoenix Weekly then contacted three monks from Shaolin Temple for verification and was respectively told: 'Wait for official information,' 'Not clear,' and another call was hung up.
Jimu News, a new media outlet under Hubei Daily, reported that Shi Yongxin’s personal Weibo was opened on March 20, 2018; as of July 24 this year, Shi Yongxin’s Weibo account has been open for 2683 days, with a total of 4005 posts, averaging about 1.5 posts per day. To date, Shi Yongxin’s Weibo has 878,000 followers.
However, Shi Yongxin’s Weibo suddenly stopped updating recently, with the last post published at 6:58 am on July 24. Below this post, some netizens commented: 'Changed place to eat vegetarian meals?' 'Quickly think of a way to save out master!' 'Reform well.' 'Karma is inescapable.'
The self-media WeChat account 'Media School' posted on the 26th: 'Recently, there is news that the abbot Shi so-and-so of a certain famous millennia-old temple in the Central Plains region has been taken away for investigation, the specific reason is unclear.' This article quickly attracted public attention.
Fu Song, a former investigative reporter who worked at Chinese outlets such as The Beijing News and Red Star News, quoted an informed source on his WeChat public account 'Circle of Friends Chasing the Moon and Counting Stars' on the 26th, confirming, 'Shi Yongxin has been taken away for investigation.' The source also said the investigation may not be related to economic issues.
Public information shows that the 59-year-old Shi Yongxin is from Yingshang County, Fuyang City, Anhui Province, and is currently the Vice President of the 10th Council of the Chinese Buddhist Association. He has been involved in scandals such as 'caught for prostitution', 'keeping a mistress who studied at Peking University', and 'having an illegitimate daughter', but these rumors eventually led nowhere.
Shi Yongxin has actively promoted Shaolin Temple overseas and developed various financial resources; some people call him the 'Shaolin CEO', 'economical monk', and 'political monk.'