Shaolin Monks Protest Temple Fees

A group of monks on Sept. 20 demonstrated at the famed Shaolin Temple in Henan Province, which is considered the birthplace of kung-fu. The monks wanted accountability for revenues of ticket sales to the temple, which are administered by a tourist committee called Songshan Shaolin Scenic Spot.

According to Xinhua news agency, a year ago the temple sued the committee for failing to hand over a share of ticket proceeds to the temple per a contract signed in 2009. The agreement stated that for each 100-yuan ticket ($16.30) that was old, the temple would receive 30 yuan.

The lawsuit claims that the committee failed to give the temple almost 50 million yuan ($8.1 million) in ticket revenues between January 2011 and October 2013. In addition to the shortfall, the temple demands 2 million yuan in penalties. A representative of the committee said it was ignoring the suit, with the curt statement, “The monks don’t need that much money anyway,” which reportedly sparked a heated discussion online. Many question the very existence of an admission fee to the temple.

The temple abbot, Shi Yongxin, is controversial for staging money-making operations such as kung fu shows. He insists the money is used for maintaining the temple and the monks’ daily expenses. So far the local court has been trying to mediate the dispute, but a breakdown in the process led the temple to file the lawsuit.