Venerable Thich An Lac will lead Shaolin Temple, replacing former abbot Thich Vinh Tin - Photo: SOHU
After Shaolin Temple - a symbol of Chinese Buddhism located on Mount Song, Henan Province - appointed monk Yin Le as its new abbot on July 29, people were curious whether this temple would continue to pursue the path of "commercialization" as under monk Shi Yongxin.
Shaolin Temple is not what it used to be.
On July 30, Sohu reported that Shaolin Temple was still bustling as usual with many shops and a constant stream of people. However, just a few hundred meters into the main campus, obvious changes began to appear.
Most noticeable is the area where abbot Thich Vinh Tin's room - once a place to welcome VIP guests such as politicians, stars, and businessmen - is now surrounded by iron sheets.
In front of the entrance, many A4 sheets of paper were posted with the following content: "Protection is paramount - strengthen management - exploit value - use effectively - let heritage come back to life", along with a sentence emphasizing the legal obligations of all organizations and individuals in protecting cultural relics.
The once splendid room of abbot Thich Vinh Tin is now covered with green corrugated iron - Photo: SOHU
Another structure that was also covered up was the memorial stele placed in front of the shrine of the 29th abbot - Thich Hanh Chinh. Staff confirmed that this was a stele erected in 1999 to congratulate Thich Vinh Tin on becoming the 30th abbot.
When asked why the stele was covered, they refused to answer in detail, only saying briefly: "The day he was arrested, it was also covered."
Services that were once criticized, such as selling “peace incense,” “family incense,” and organizing spiritual ceremonies that charged fees, are no longer available. “Martial monks,” which once offended many tourists by asking for donations by scanning QR codes, have disappeared.
The fee collection desk and donation service using QR code scanning that was once widespread in Shaolin Temple have now disappeared - Photo: SOHU
Shaolin Temple brochures, which previously required a fee or a code scan to view, are now available on display shelves for visitors to read at their leisure.
At the main hall of the Great Hero Hall - the center of Shaolin Temple, many tourists are lining up to burn incense and pray. Most people get free incense from the stall next to them, no one is selling or charging for it.
Shaolin Temple still attracts tourists regularly - Photo: SOHU
Mr. Ngo, a tourist from Zhengzhou, said: "Before, going around, you had to pay for incense, and it wasn't cheap. Now you can get it yourself, no one charges you anything." He often takes friends to Shaolin Temple and has witnessed a bundle of incense costing from tens to hundreds of yuan, sometimes even up to thousands of yuan.
Another tourist said: "Thich Vinh Tin is one thing, and Shaolin Temple is another symbol. He does not represent Shaolin Temple."
Meanwhile, the business system under the name of abbot Thich Vinh Tin was also dissolved or had its license revoked. However, what many people find confusing is that although 8 related companies were reviewed, so far only 5 companies have been eliminated, while 3 businesses are still operating.
The revocation of the precepts (certificate of monastic practice) of abbot Thich Vinh Tin means that he is no longer a monk - Photo: SOHU
All these changes began on July 27 when Shaolin Temple made a shocking announcement to the world : Abbot Thich Vinh Tin was suspected of committing criminal offenses, including embezzlement, misappropriation of project capital and temple assets, and serious violations of Buddhist precepts by maintaining illicit relationships with many women for a long time and having children out of wedlock.
Immediately afterwards, the Chinese Buddhist Association quickly revoked his dharma name and expelled abbot Thich Vinh Tin from the Buddhist community.
People hope that the new abbot Thich An Lac will soon restore the purity and dignity of Shaolin Temple.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/thieu-lam-tu-thay-doi-manh-sau-khi-tru-tri-thich-vinh-tin-bi-dieu-tra-hinh-su-20250731114223858.htm
Comment (0)