Jan 16, 2017 04:49 PM
Timeline: Shi Yongxin, Abbot of Shaolin Monastery
Shi Yongxin walks past monks at Shaolin Monestary. Photos: Chen Liang
| 1981 | Yongxin enters the Shaolin Temple aged 16 |
| 1982 | The blockbuster hit Shaolin Temple starring rising kung fu star Jet Li is released |
| 1989 | Yongxin takes temple’s martial arts performance troupe to a local government fund-raising event on China’s tropical Hainan Island |
| 1990s | The number of annual visitors passes a million and one third of the city’s revenue comes from tourism |
| 1993 | Yongxin garners national attention when he sues a local sausage producer marketing its product using the temple’s name |
| 1995 | The temple celebrates the 1,500th anniversary of its founding |
| 1998 | Yongxin becomes a representative to the National Peoples’ Congress and Chairman of the Henan Buddhist Association |
| 1998 | Yongxin establishes the Henan Shaolin Industrial Development Co., Ltd, to take back control of the Shaolin brand |
| 1999 | Yongxin becomes the Shaolin temple’s abbot aged 34 |
| 2000 | Demolition begins of businesses near the temple with 273 “unsightly” buildings destroyed in two months |
| Letters begin arriving accusing Shi of visiting prostitutes and keeping a mistress | |
| 2001 | The first overseas Shaolin Temple is established in Germany |
| 2003 | Large-scale demolition and rebuilding of the temple grounds begin |
| 2004 | Yongxin and his kung fu troupe accompany then President Hu Jintao on a trip to South America to participate in cultural exchange activities organized by the State Council Information Office |
| 2005 | The demolition and renovation of temple grounds is completed |
| 2005 | Dengfeng city government decides to raise the ticket price of the Song Mountain scenic area |
| 2008 | The temple is officially recognized as a legally protected brand by the State Administration of Industry and Commerce |
| 2010 | Dengfeng city government attempts to renovate and market Tianzhong temple |
| 2014 | Tianzhong temple renovation is halted by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage |
| 2015 | A former disciple accuses Yongxin of embezzling temple funds and fathering a child with a mistress |
| 2016 | Provincial investigation reports officially exonerate Yongxin of all charges |
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