Anxious and stressed about their careers, young Chinese are flocking to temples
- More are seeking to escape from pressure and pray for good fortune, while some soak up ‘temple life’ as volunteers for months
- Buddhism and Taoism are part of traditional culture, and now their temples are ‘a key pillar of tourism’, religious affairs expert says
Like many of her peers, Lu was ambitious and spent her university years planning for her career – with a degree in Chinese, she saw a future in e-commerce. But 12 months into her first job she needed a break and decided to volunteer at the temple in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province.
Lu is among a growing number of young graduates who, feeling disillusioned or burnt out, have temporarily retreated from the highly competitive job market to rethink their path.
“The pandemic has upended not only the economy but also many of our assumptions about life,” said Lu, who is now 25 and plans to spend a year at the temple.
“The economic downturn and rising unemployment has caused great anxiety among many people my age. With all the uncertainties, many are choosing to hold onto secure and stable jobs. But there’s also some who are like me in wanting to pause and rethink what I truly want in life.”
China’s economy has started showing signs of recovery in recent months as the country emerges from three years of stringent Covid-19 controls. But the youth unemployment rate hit 17.5 per cent last year, rising further to 18.1 per cent in the first two months of 2023.
Young people aged 16 to 24 have often been hit hardest by job losses during the pandemic. In the US, youth unemployment rose to 27.4 per cent in April 2020 before dropping to below 9 per cent last year.
