Shaolin monks put payment down on first foreign temple

China's Shaolin Temple, known for its legendary martial arts, wants to replicate its ancient ways Down Under - and it is prepared to pay up to support its vision.

Abbot Shi Yongxin handed over a check of more than 4 million Australian dollars ($3.13 million) to Joanna Gash, mayor of Shoalhaven, in southeast Australia, clearing the outstanding payment on the sale of a slot of land, according to a statement posted on the coastal city government's website late last month. The payment is part of an expected US$300 million investment in Australia to open a temple there, the Shaolin Temple's first outside China.

The deal marks the latest move by Mr. Shi - sometimes called the CEO Monk in China - to extend and commercialize the legend of the ancient Chinese temple. The Shaolin brand, which is managed by the Shaolin Intangible Assets Management Co. Ltd., has set up more than 40 cultural institutions around the globe, Xinhua said.

Mr. Shi himself is a member of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, a national political advisory group that is currently holding its once-a-year meeting in Beijing.
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