He began martial arts training at Songshan Shaolin Temple in Zhengzhou in Henan at the age of 13.
Qiu Feng, a 21-year-old man dubbed ''China's most handsome Shaolin monk,'' was killed in a car accident on August 8, South China Morning Post reported. According to one of Qiu Feng's seniors from the temple, he was headed towards Zhejiang to participate in a charity performance when the accident occurred. The monk and the cab driver were the only people in the vehicle when it collided with a large lorry. The taxi driver died instantly, while Mr Feng lost his life the next evening at a hospital.
Notably, he was a 34th-generation Shaolin monk from Jiyuan, Henan province in northern China. He had been training in the ancient art of Shaolin Kung Fu since childhood and had quickly become a standout among his peers.
''He was a positive and motivated person, still very young, with an outgoing personality. He was always respectful to everyone,'' a senior brother at his temple said.
Mr Feng was not only renowned for his exceptional martial arts skills but also for his striking good looks. His charming smile and chiselled features had earned him a significant following on social media.
Despite his popularity, Qiu remained humble. ''I am just an ordinary monk in the Shaolin Monks Group. The attention I've received is due to the unique charm of Shaolin kung fu,'' he once said.
His untimely death has sent shockwaves through the Shaolin community, with fellow monks and fans taking to social media to express their condolences. Shaolin Temple also paid tribute to him, saying his death ''is a great loss to the Shaolin Temple, and the legacy of Shaolin culture as a whole.''
One person on the internet said, ''I kept checking to confirm it, and even now, I cannot get over it. It's the first time I've felt so sad for someone I didn't know personally.'' Another user wrote, ''Every time the autumn wind blows, we will remember you.''