China: Temple visits on the rise as jobless young people seek spiritual help

China’s staggering unemployment rate, specifically among 16 to 24-year-olds, has pushed the youth towards templehopping and itseems theyhave more faith in deities than their degrees. According to the data released by the Chinese travel platform Qunar, the number of visitors to temple scenic spots increased by 367 per cent in the first quarter of this year, compared with the same period in 2022.

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Much of this increase can be accounted for by the opening up of tourist and cultural spots since zero-Covid restrictions were abandoned in December. But some other religious sites are also experiencing increases in visitors compared with their pre-Covid levels.

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Between January and May, nearly 2.4 million tourists visited Mount Emei in Sichuan, which is one of four holy mountains in Chinese Buddhism. This number is over 50 per cent more than in the same period in 2019.

Increasing rate of unemployment among Gen Zs

As it becomes more and more difficult for Chinese youth to search for a job in the country’s gloomy economy, many young people are hoping for divine intervention, causing an increase in footfall to temples.

As per the data collected by Trip.com, about half of the temple-goers in January and February were born after 1990. Millennials and Gen Z are part of a cohort of young people facing record levels of unemployment.

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In May, the unemployment rate for 16 to 24-year-oldshit 20.8 per cent. China’s difficult economic recovery from zero-Covid and slowdowns in the education, property and technology sectors have squeezed opportunities for fresh graduates.

Who are these “incense-burning youth”?

The phrase “incense-burning youth” has spread over social media in China.It refers to young people who have turned to spiritual offerings in an attempt to increase their prospects. “Between going forward and going to work, I choose incense”, is another popular catchphrase in the country.

The slogan reflects a desire for self-improvement, as well as the decision of some young people to opt out of the rat race altogether. It has been linked to neijuan, or “involution”, the term used to describe the intense pressure felt by young people in China, where putting in more effort often feels futile.

Temples cashing in on rising demand, experts call it ‘temple economy’

Many temples saw this as an opportunity, and have started cashing in on this demand for spiritual nourishment by offering meditation courses, on-site cafes and, according to some reports, psychological counselling centres. All this has been labelled the ‘temple economy’ by experts.

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Buddhist-style trinkets are also increasingly popular. In January, Lama temple, Beijing’s biggest Buddhist monastery, issued a statement clarifying that it had not authorised third-party platforms to sell Lama temple bracelets, contrary to the claims of some online vendors.

Although the Chinese Communist Party is officially atheist, many people turn to ancient practices in times of need.

(With inputs from agencies)

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