Shao Lin Temple Going Public

I couldn't believe it when a friend told me the news that the local government entity in charge of managing the 1,500-year-old Buddhist temple's tourism-related assets plans to join with China Travel Service in a venture that will seek to raise up to 1 billion RMB (approx 157 million CAD) in a share listing on either a mainland market or in Hong Kong.

A spokeswoman for state-owned China Travel Service (Holdings) Ltd. in Hong Kong confirmed that the two sides have agreed on cooperation and said her company would be issuing an announcement later.

I have always been a bit critical of Shao Lin going commercial in the first. Now I think this has gone a little far. Somethings you just shouldn't try to make profits off of such as a religious temple.

Shaolin Temple (少林寺) is located near Luoyang (洛阳) and 80 kilometers west of Zhengzhou (郑州). Shaolin Temple became associated with martial arts in the 7th century when 13 Shaolin monks, trained in kung fu, rescued prince Li Shimin, the founder of the Tang dynasty. After this Shaolin expanded into a large complex. At its peak it housed 2,000 monks. In the 20th century it fell on hard times. In the 1920s, much of the monastery was burnt down . When the Communists came to power in 1949, Buddhism, like other religions was discouraged. Land owned by the temple was distributed among farmers. Monks fled. remained at Shaolin in the 1960s were destroyed or defaced during the Cultural Revolution. All but four of the temple's monks were driven off by the Red Guards. The remaining monks survived by making their own tofu and bartering it for food. In 1981 there were only 12 elderly monks at the temple and they spent much of their time farming. Their religious activities were performed discretely or in secret.

In 1982, a film called Shaolin Temple made the temple famous and launched Jet Li’s career. It remains one of the most popular kung fu films ever. After its success the government and entrepreneurs realized there was money to made exploiting the temple. Old monks were asked to come back and new ones were recruited. Today about 200 students study directly with the masters who live in the temple.

Shaolin, its monks and their distinctive form of kung fu became branded in the early 90's under the temple's business-savvy abbot, Shi Yongxin. He moved aggressively to promote and protect the Shaolin brand, threatening to sue companies that use the temple's name or image without permission and serving as executive producer for martial arts films centered on the temple. Shi also has sought to upgrade temple facilities - installing lavish visitor restrooms equipped with uniformed cleaners and TVs that brought criticism and controversy.

The Shanghai-based newspaper Oriental Morning Post and other reports said the temple itself was not part of the negotiations between Dengfeng and China Travel Service. That deal calls for China Travel Service to invest 100 million RMB for a 51 percent stake in a venture under the Shaolin brand name that will handle sale of admission tickets, operate its cable car, cinemas, hotels and tourist bus services in Dengfeng. Who knows, Shao Lin amusement park coming soon and get your monk plush toy on a key chain in the shopping plaza left to the temple.