[Taiwanese Temple Abbot Embezzles NT$300 Million in Donations and Launders Money Using Cryptocurrency; Nearly 800 Kilograms of Gold and Silver Unearthed Outside Meditation Room] BlockBeats reports on November 7th that Donglin Temple, a well-known temple in Yilan, Taiwan, has been embezzled and laundered. Abbot Chang Ching-yu and his son Chang Wei-fu, who is now a monk, are suspected of embezzling donations from believers and temple property over a long period, with the amount involved exceeding NT$300 million (approximately RMB 60.77 million). They allegedly concealed the illicit gains by purchasing cryptocurrency, gold, silver, and nearby farmhouses. On November 2nd, the Yilan District Prosecutors Office conducted a search and unearthed more than ten iron boxes in the gravel area outside the abbot's meditation room. They seized approximately 70 kilograms of gold and over 700 kilograms of silver, totaling nearly 800 kilograms, with a market value exceeding NT$330 million (approximately RMB 67.24 million). The case originated from a report filed by a family member of a devotee, who claimed that her mother was defrauded of over NT$300 million by Chang Ching-yu under various pretexts while practicing at Donglin Temple between 2010 and 2014. The investigation also revealed that Chang Ching-yu had long controlled the temple's funds, with some donations and temple assets being transferred to his personal accounts. On November 3, the Yilan District Court ordered the detention of Chang Ching-yu and his son, Chang Wei-fu, on charges of misappropriation of public funds and violation of the Money Laundering Control Act. The executive director of the involved Dharma Protection Association and the abbot's wife were each released on bail of NT$1 million. [Original Link]