Internet gives monk new way to pass knowledge (1/3)

Monk Yancan speaks during an interview with Xinhua in Shijiazhuang, capital of north China's Hebei Province, June 21, 2012. Yancan is the abbot of the Shuiyue Monastery in Hebei. For over 20 years, the Zen monk has passed his knowledge on through sermons and lectures. But now, the Internet has given Yancan a new avenue to spread his wisdom. Yancan first rose to online prominence last week, when a video of him being harassed by monkeys near the E'Mei Mountain, a sacred Buddhist site, was uploaded to the Internet. Yancan quickly amassed a large following on Sina Weibo, with his posts forwarded thousands of times ever since the video's debut, helping him to bring his thoughts on Buddhism to a much larger audience. Yancan's positive approach stands out among the extreme displays of anger and verbal abuse that are common to Sina Weibo. His humorous demeanor and laid-back approach have charmed the public as well. (Xinhua/Bai Mingshan)