Shi Yongxin, the abbot of Shaolin Temple, who found landed himself in a controversy. [Photo/China Daily]

In trouble: Shi Yongxin

Shaolin Temple and its presiding monk Yongxin have never been in such a credibility crisis. Yongxin was accused of abusing his position by keeping a mistress and having fathered a child, as well as misappropriating money accumulated through the temple's various business activities.

The monk has long been a controversial figure since he rose to fame from late 1980s by launching commercial activities for the sacred Shaolin temple with a history of more than 1,500 years and making the temple famous worldwide.