Towards the end of the time of the Northern & Southern Dynasties, around Emperor Wu Di of the Northern Zhou Dynasty called for the "abolishment of Buddhism". In 574 and again in 577, Emperor Wu had Buddhist and Taoist images destroyed and their clergy returned to lay life. He believed the temples had become too rich and powerful, so he confiscated their land and gave it to his own soldiers. During this time, the Shaolin Monastery was closed, Shaolin Dispersed. This was considered the 1st and 2nd persecution of Buddhism (looking at it only from a Buddhist perspective) but there were to be two more such purges.