Shaolin Temple builds commerical empire

Shi Yongxin, the abbot of the Shaolin temple in the central province of Henan, was awarded an SUV worth 1 million Yuan (US$150, 000) for his contributions to the local tourist industry in 2006

China’s famed Shaolin Temple has set up over 40 companies overseas as it hopes to spread Buddhist-inspired martial arts around the globe, state press reported.

But the announcement of a vast business plan to send the temple’s famed warrior monks abroad has been met with criticism over the commercialisation of Buddhism, the Global Times said on Monday.

NBA superstar center Shaquille O'Neal poses with Abbot Shi Yongxin during his promotional tour to the Shaolin Temple in Henan province in 2009

“We currently operate over 40 companies in cities across the world, such as Berlin and London,” the paper quoted Shi Yongxin, the temple’s 30th abbot, as saying at the 8th cultural industry forum at Peking University Saturday.

“The Shaolin Temple is also participating in the operation of some other companies related to the same industry,” he said, adding that the companies have bought land and property overseas.

As the first head of state to visit Shaolin temple, Russian then-President Vladimir Putin received a grand welcome by Abbot Shi Yongxin in 2006

Shi, the first Chinese monk to earn a master’s degree in business administration, denied the businesses were profit-motivated, insisting that the temple was fulfilling an overseas infatuation with “Shaolin culture”, it said.

The temple, which was established in 495 AD, is known as the birthplace of Zen Buddhism and Chinese kung fu.

Shaolin Temple in central China's Henan Province is the birthplace of Chinese kung fu

Shaolin warrior monks have held legendary status for centuries throughout Asia, while over the last 50 years films and television have spread their reputation worldwide.

Besides teaching martial arts around the world, the Shaolin centres also include Zen meditation workshops and Chinese language training, Shi said.

The temple has nearly 130 martial arts clubs in the United States alone, while Shaolin monks are already capable of teaching in English, German and Spanish, he said.

Shaolin Temple launched its first overseas Shaolin Kung Fu Cultural Center in Vienna, Austria on June 3, 2004

Shi, known as the “CEO of Shaolin” since taking over the temple a decade ago, has developed commercial ventures such as kung fu shows, film production and online merchandise sales. He established Warrior Monks Group to perform in 1989. He set up Henan Shaolinsi Television Co in 1997 and Shaolin Temple Industrial Development Company in 1998. His was the first Buddhist temple to open a website.

The movie Shaolin (新少林寺) started filming in Shaolin Temple On October, 22, 2009. Martial monks tried to obstruct the passage of reporters.

Last year he denied the temple planned to participate in an initial public offering with a Hong Kong travel company, while a Beijing court turned down an application to put a Shaolin trademark on consumer goods like instant noodles.

Shi’s business efforts have been widely criticised as a naked attempt to commercialise Buddhism, the report said.

“To many people, a temple is a reclusive place outside the bustles of the material world,” but “when a monk like Shi travels frequently by plane to promote his businesses, secular society cannot keep up,” the paper said in an editorial.

“While spreading ideas has been the traditional theme of most religions, Shaolin’s ventures abroad also help China spread its traditional culture and thinking, and gain more understanding through a civil channel.”

释永信：少林寺海外买地建房 开办40余家公司

2006年河南登封奖励少林寺方丈释永信价值100多万的豪华越野车，表彰他为旅游做出贡献

嵩山少林寺方丈释永信透露说，少林寺(在国内)都不是法人单位，媒体却在说我们商业化，但少林寺在伦敦柏林等地直接办了40多家公司。

柏林伦敦等地开办公司

据《新京报》报道，在北京大学文化产业研究院举行的“第八届文化产业新年论坛”上发表演讲时，释永信表示，少林寺目前发展的重点是在海外，“在国内没有做太多，重点主要在海外，我们的武僧和法师都用英语、德语、西班牙语在当地传播，海外发展壮大了，才能在国内有话语权。”

据他透露，目前少林寺在柏林、伦敦等地直接办了40多家公司，另外还间接办了一些公司。释永信还表示，少林寺的海外联系还包括举行剧目，“不到三年就在29个国家的50个城市演出，但不做一般性商业演出。”

他在昨天的演讲中透露说，少林寺直接办的公司(海外中心)就是要融入当地，每个地方都有少林寺的僧人任教，其中包括禅修、功夫、语言等。譬如在美国就有130多家武馆。“间接办的公司也不少”，释永信介绍说，各大洲都有少林寺的联谊会，当地申请了几百家与联谊会有关的公司，少林寺也认可了不少。

释永信定制云锦袈裟 仅金线就价值5万元

少林寺海外买地建房

但释永信也解释说，少林寺最初在海外的发展都是先花几万美元在当地租房子，收徒弟，最多的场地能收到几千人次，“有点钱就希望在那里按揭买房，再有点钱就买地建房子，我们就是要融入海外，这也不能算少林寺资产。”

侧重在海外发展的释永信感觉到，国外对佛教的研究重视程度超过了中国。有一次在美国国会图书馆，馆方向释永信展示了明代清代的中国佛教文献，还向释永信展示了少林寺的拓片。

释永信还表示，少林寺促进了河南登封第三产业的发展，“每年200万游客，其中包括15万境外游客，周围有60多家武校，其中有6万多学生”，也参与了电影、电视的拍摄和一些图书的出版，“这可能与文化产业有点相关。”

普京与方丈释永信合影。2006年3月，“武林高手”、时任俄罗斯总统普京参观少林寺，他是第一个到少林寺参观的在任外国元首

少林寺否认海外开40家公司 澄清:在弘扬”国粹”

这两天，关于《释永信称少林寺在海外开办40余家公司》和《少林总经理否认“少林寺海外开办40家公司”》的两篇新闻报道，让嵩山少林寺和释永信方丈再次成为舆论焦点。真相到底如何？

不是公司是文化中心

针对社会上热传的海外开办公司一事，少林无形资产管理有限公司总经理钱大梁说，关于少林寺海外40家公司的报道是一种误读和误导。

由于海外的法人机构登记体系与中国大陆多有不同，在中国，“有限公司”在工商局登记，公益类的“基金会”则在民政部门登记注册。但海外许多国家，二者统一使用“有限公司”作为机构“后缀”，少林文化基金会在当地自然要注册成为“少林文化基金会有限公司”，现在盛传的40家公司在国内只是叫做文化交流中心。钱大梁说：“少林寺从来没有说是公司，简单说它就是文化中心。”

2008年方丈释永信接受李湘采访时称少林寺永不上市

部分房产已付款买下

关于少林寺在海外是否有房产，钱大梁回应说，这种所谓的房产有很多种不同方式。“有些是别人捐赠的，有一种是别人租的房子，有些是政府提供给你的，这种文化别人接受了，逐渐生根，付款就买下来了。”钱大梁说。

钱大梁认为，像少林寺、少林文化这些有代表的中国传统文化、民族文化在向海外发展过程中，有文化产业的发展，更多的是一种文化的传承，可现在很多人是简单地把文化产业和文化传承相互替代。