[1] Yongxin has been widely criticized in the online Buddhist and martial arts communities for commercializing the temple and running it like a business, earning him the nickname "CEO Monk".

[7] Yongxin has also been criticized for his approval of the demolition of nearby environment in 2001, where the village surrounding the Shaolin Temple was bulldozed in order to help the bid for it to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

[9] The second time, hackers posted a letter said to be written by Yongxin in which he apologized for living a materialistic lifestyle and commercializing the temple.

[10][11][12] Yongxin has countered these criticisms by claiming that commercialization is just a modern tool to promote and spread traditional Shaolin culture and martial arts, and is good for the Temple in the end.

"[13] As of January, 2011, Yongxin and the temple operated over 40 companies in cities across the world, including London and Berlin, which have purchased land and property.