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Tuesday, 26 January 2010
Shaolin monks near deal with Hong Kong firm
A Hong Kong arm of China Travel Service is holding talks with a city government in Henan to form a joint venture aimed at turning Shaolin Monastery into a money-spinning mega brand.
New venture would seek to lure tourists to spots near historic warriors’ home
Mimi Lau in Guangzhou and Celine Sun 18 December 2009
A Hong Kong arm of China Travel Service is holding talks with a city government in Henan to form a joint venture aimed at turning Shaolin Monastery into a money-spinning mega brand.
However, a statement issued by the Dengfeng city government yesterday said, “no formal contract has been inked yet”, and that the monastery itself would not be part of the joint venture’s assets.
The monastery’s controversial leader, Abbot Shi Yongxin, was reportedly kept in the dark about the negotiations.
On December 9, Dengfeng Mayor Zheng Fulin chaired a meeting discussing the establishment of a joint venture between tour operator China National Travel Service (HK) Group Corp and Mount Song Shaolin Cultural Tourism.
According to a report in The Beijing News quoting minutes of the meeting, the rights to collect entrance revenues for Shaolin Monastery and scenic spots on Mount Song were valued at 49 million yuan (HK$56 million), and the Dengfeng government would get 49 per cent of the joint venture.
The local government appears to be selling it cheap - last year the monastery took 100 million yuan in revenue from ticket sales alone.
Dengfeng’s attempts to cash in on the site have prompted widespread criticism on the mainland. Shaolin Monastery is considered a bit of national heritage that should not enrich a particular group - let alone be traded like a commodity.
Shaolin Monastery is the 1,500-year-old birthplace of Chinese kung fu and Zen Buddhism. It has developed into both a popular tourist destination and a brand for businesses ranging from film production to medicinal products. Its monks are often sent on world tours.
A key player in its rise is the abbot. Shi has earned notoriety for charging businessmen 200,000 yuan in exchange for blessings and accepting a luxury SUV worth 1 million yuan from the local government as a reward for his contributions to the local economy. But the abbot, in an interview with Hunan Satellite TV last April, denied rumours he would list the monastery, saying it housed invaluable cultural heritage.
Dengfeng city government yesterday denied they would include in the listing 16 spots listed as national- and provincial-level cultural relics for preservation. “Sixteen cultural relics of national and provincial levels in the area, including the Shaolin Temple, will not be managed by the new joint venture,” it said.
However, the government did not say whether other parts of the area round about, or other Shaolin-related scenic spots, would be listed.
The city also denied suggestions it was selling national assets cheap. The government said no formal agreement had been reached.
A spokesman for the Hong Kong company said the co-operation plan would be announced today.
A spokesman at Shaolin Monastery refused to comment on the matter yesterday. “I don’t want to comment on this,” he said. “[I fear] it might affect our relationship with the local government.”
However, a senior manager at Shaolin Monastery Culture Promotion Ltd, the monastery’s branch in Beijing, revealed that the municipal government had not sought Shi’s opinion before informing them about the listing plan a few days ago.
“Shaolin has been a spiritual home for the people for over a thousand years,” he said. “How can you trade it on the stock market? That is no different than selling your soul for money.”
He added that the local government’s move had breached national law in protecting religious sites.
“But our voice is weak compared with the government’s strong ambition,” he said.
Both the State Administration for Religious Affairs and the Buddhist Association of China said they were not aware of the matter.
1 comment:
Shaolin monks near deal with Hong Kong firm
New venture would seek to lure tourists to spots near historic warriors’ home
Mimi Lau in Guangzhou and Celine Sun
18 December 2009
A Hong Kong arm of China Travel Service is holding talks with a city government in Henan to form a joint venture aimed at turning Shaolin Monastery into a money-spinning mega brand.
However, a statement issued by the Dengfeng city government yesterday said, “no formal contract has been inked yet”, and that the monastery itself would not be part of the joint venture’s assets.
The monastery’s controversial leader, Abbot Shi Yongxin, was reportedly kept in the dark about the negotiations.
On December 9, Dengfeng Mayor Zheng Fulin chaired a meeting discussing the establishment of a joint venture between tour operator China National Travel Service (HK) Group Corp and Mount Song Shaolin Cultural Tourism.
According to a report in The Beijing News quoting minutes of the meeting, the rights to collect entrance revenues for Shaolin Monastery and scenic spots on Mount Song were valued at 49 million yuan (HK$56 million), and the Dengfeng government would get 49 per cent of the joint venture.
The local government appears to be selling it cheap - last year the monastery took 100 million yuan in revenue from ticket sales alone.
Dengfeng’s attempts to cash in on the site have prompted widespread criticism on the mainland. Shaolin Monastery is considered a bit of national heritage that should not enrich a particular group - let alone be traded like a commodity.
Shaolin Monastery is the 1,500-year-old birthplace of Chinese kung fu and Zen Buddhism. It has developed into both a popular tourist destination and a brand for businesses ranging from film production to medicinal products. Its monks are often sent on world tours.
A key player in its rise is the abbot. Shi has earned notoriety for charging businessmen 200,000 yuan in exchange for blessings and accepting a luxury SUV worth 1 million yuan from the local government as a reward for his contributions to the local economy. But the abbot, in an interview with Hunan Satellite TV last April, denied rumours he would list the monastery, saying it housed invaluable cultural heritage.
Dengfeng city government yesterday denied they would include in the listing 16 spots listed as national- and provincial-level cultural relics for preservation. “Sixteen cultural relics of national and provincial levels in the area, including the Shaolin Temple, will not be managed by the new joint venture,” it said.
However, the government did not say whether other parts of the area round about, or other Shaolin-related scenic spots, would be listed.
The city also denied suggestions it was selling national assets cheap. The government said no formal agreement had been reached.
A spokesman for the Hong Kong company said the co-operation plan would be announced today.
A spokesman at Shaolin Monastery refused to comment on the matter yesterday. “I don’t want to comment on this,” he said. “[I fear] it might affect our relationship with the local government.”
However, a senior manager at Shaolin Monastery Culture Promotion Ltd, the monastery’s branch in Beijing, revealed that the municipal government had not sought Shi’s opinion before informing them about the listing plan a few days ago.
“Shaolin has been a spiritual home for the people for over a thousand years,” he said. “How can you trade it on the stock market? That is no different than selling your soul for money.”
He added that the local government’s move had breached national law in protecting religious sites.
“But our voice is weak compared with the government’s strong ambition,” he said.
Both the State Administration for Religious Affairs and the Buddhist Association of China said they were not aware of the matter.
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