China’s temple tourism booms as youth visit Buddhist shrines in droves

The Lama Temple, a Buddhist worship site in Beijing, witnessed a daily average of over 40,000 visitors last week, according to domestic media reports.(Unsplash)

According to data from Ctrip, an online ticketing platform in mainland China, since February, nearly 50 per cent of the people, who booked tickets for temple spots, are young Chinese born after the nineties becoming the main force of temple tourism. The data shows that ticket bookings for temple-related visits have increased by 310 per cent yearly.

Many believers among young Chinese are seeking a temporary escape from personal or professional worries as they have found a new way to unwind from the daily grind in these religious sites, according to local media reports, reported Colombo Gazette.

Searches for temple visits have surged by 580 per cent this year, according to Ocean Engine, an online marketing service provider. On the lifestyle platform Xiaohongshu, there have been over 820,000 temple-goers posting anything from travelling tips to worshipping etiquette and deeming the tour a “heart-cleansing experience”.