Photo Essay: Temple Tourism Surges Among China’s Youth

At Beijing’s Yonghe Temple, a revered site for praying to Buddha, young people are often spotted burning incense and lining up to pay their respects. When approaching the censers, they kneel and pray, telling Buddha their heartfelt desires before placing lit sticks of incense inside.

Xiaozhang (pseudonym), a recent graduate from Northwest China’s Inner Mongolia region, performed the ritual multiple times at the temple on April 25, hoping for a good job offer and a successful career. She came to the capital hundreds of kilometers away from her hometown in hopes of securing employment. Despite her best efforts, she was unable to find a job, so she turned to Buddha for answers.

Visitors pray at Yonghe Temple on April 22. Photo: Sun Muzi (intern)/Caixin

“Nowadays, young people face significant pressure in their studies, work and life, and the three-year epidemic has exacerbated these pressures. They need an outlet, and temples have become an important choice to seek spiritual sustenance and relieve stress,” Zhang Zuqun, associate professor at the School of Design and Art of the Beijing Institute of Technology, told China Travel News.