Authorities in Taiwan have uncovered a case involving the abbot of a well-known temple and his son, who are accused of misappropriating charitable donations. During a search of the temple, investigators discovered more than ten iron boxes filled with gold and silver buried beneath a gravel area outside the abbot's meditation quarters, with a total market value exceeding NT$330 million (approximately 70 million RMB).

The abbot of Donglin Temple in Yilan, identified as Chang Ching-yu, along with his son Chang Wei-fu, who has also taken monastic vows, stand accused of embezzling temple funds. The case has drawn significant public attention.

In August of this year, the father and son arrived at court in a Porsche luxury sedan valued at NT$5 million (approximately 1.01 million RMB), drawing further scrutiny. They argued that all donations were made voluntarily by devotees. However, investigators found that temple funds had been transferred into private accounts and laundered through the purchase of virtual currencies, gold, and silver.

Both individuals are currently detained and held incommunicado. Meanwhile, Chang Ching-cheng, the executive director of the temple's Dharma Protection Association, and Lin Chia-chen, the abbot's wife who served as the temple's cashier, have each been released on bail of NT$1 million (approximately 200,000 RMB) pending trial. The investigation remains ongoing.

In addition to the physical precious metals, prosecutors also seized virtual currency holdings and related bank account deposits at the scene. Reports indicate that the funds used by Chang Ching-yu and his son to purchase virtual currencies suffered losses amounting to tens of millions of NT dollars.

Prosecutors found what appeared to be major discrepancies in the temple's internal accounting records, with its board of directors and supervisors functioning in name only. Temple funds were allegedly controlled solely by Chang Ching-yu, who is suspected of transferring donations. Some funds are also believed to have been misappropriated for the purchase of farmhouses near the temple, large tracts of land, and luxury recreational vehicles.