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Qiu Feng, the young man dubbed China’s “most handsome Shaolin monk”, has been killed in a car accident at the age of 21.

Top kung fu exponent Qiu, whose name means “autumn wind”, was killed in a taxi collision while en route to a charity performance.

He was a 34th-generation Shaolin monk from Jiyuan, Henan province in northern China. He began martial arts training at Songshan Shaolin Temple in Zhengzhou in Henan at the age of 13.

With his clean-cut, athletic looks and powerful kung fu moves, he quickly rose to fame, captivating fans who crowned him the “most handsome Shaolin monk”.

He became a modern poster boy for the traditional martial arts, thanks in part to the promotional efforts of the Culture and Tourism Department in Henan province.

His Douyin account amassed 1.8 million followers, and one video showing him reciting scriptures in the snow attracted 486,000 likes.

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.

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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.''

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News Voiced and Reported by: Soha.M

Sources: BBC | Daily Mail | CNN | SCMP

Genre: Current Affairs | Geo-Politics | Tragic