"May the Blessings of God Be With You"... Chinese Youth Seek Comfort in Temples Amid High Unemployment

China's Youth Unemployment Rate Hits Record 20.8% in May
Burning Incense and Meditating at Temples... "May the Gods Bless"
Local Media Criticizes: "If You Want Something, Make an Effort"

As the number of visitors to temples in China is rapidly increasing, it is analyzed that this is because young people facing unemployment are turning to temples.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, the youth unemployment rate for those aged 16 to 24 reached 20.8% as of May. This is the highest ever since related statistics were first compiled in 2018, and it has doubled compared to 10.1% in December 2018, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

[Photo by Getty Images Bank]

With youth unemployment soaring, the hashtag "Burning Incense Youth" has become popular on Chinese social media (SNS) since March. It reflects a facet of young people seeking comfort in temples due to severe employment difficulties.

One young person posted a photo on SNS of visiting a temple, lighting incense, and meditating, along with the phrase, "Between moving forward and going to work, I chose incense," which resonated with many and spread widely.

According to the Chinese travel platform Qunar, the number of temple visitors in the first quarter of this year surged by 367% compared to the same period last year. Mount Emei in Sichuan Province, one of the four sacred mountains of Chinese Buddhism, saw about 2.5 million visitors by May. This is more than a 50% increase compared to 2019.

Notably, a significant portion of temple visitors are from the younger generation. According to another travel platform, Trip.com, half of the visitors to Chinese temples from January to February this year were either Jiulinghou (born in the 1990s) or Linglinghou (born in the 2000s).

The British daily newspaper The Guardian analyzed this phenomenon, stating, "Young Chinese people seeking jobs amid a bleak economy are hoping for divine power." CNN interpreted it as "Young people disillusioned by worsening economic prospects are flocking to temples, hoping for divine blessings to secure jobs, enter good schools, or become wealthy overnight."

However, Beijing-based media Xinjingbao criticized this trend, saying, "You can pray to the gods, but if you want to achieve your wishes, whether it is employment or anything else, studying harder and working harder should come first," addressing the younger generation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.