A hacker has broken through Shaolin Temple's legendary kung fu defenses - by attacking its official Website and faking a letter from abbot Shi Yongxin apologizing for the commercialization of Buddhist heritage at the Henan Province temple.

The post was defamatory, said senior monk Shi Yanyu, who added that the abbot was on a business trip and could not be reached for comment.

The temple's Webmaster surnamed Li said it will take at least two or three days to repair the Website. It was the second online attack within a week, he said. The matter has been reported to police.

Shaolin Temple is famous for its association with Chinese martial arts. Controversial abbot Shi has made bold business moves, taking over other temples and starting overseas branches in the United States and Hong Kong.

Shi was called the CEO of Shaolin by Discovery Channel three years ago. He is also the first monk in China with an MBA degree.

Shi denied that he over-commercializing the temple, although his actions have received plenty of online criticism.

In the latest move, the legendary temple said it will spend 2 billion yuan (US$292.9 million) on rebuilding its northern branch in Tianjin Municipality.