In China they are so worried about the economy that they ask for divine intervention

(CNN) — The reopening of China after the covid-19 crisis was supposed to be the stimulus the world needed. But after a first burst of activity, growth in the world’s second largest economy appears to be stagnating.

disillusioned With deteriorating economic prospects, young people flock to Buddhist and Taoist temples to ask for divine intervention to get jobs, get into good schools, or get rich overnight.

Data released this week shows that Chinese exports fell 7.5% in May compared to a year ago, much more than expected, due to the weakening of global demand. Factory activity contracted again last month, and youth unemployment stands at all-time highs.

Economic uncertainty has boosted temple visits and tourism, according to analysts and travel websites.

“No school, no hard work, just burning incense” has been a popular hashtag on social media since March, referring to a growing trend among China’s youth escaping a pressured society by going to temples to pray for luck

“Young people who burn incense” has become the No. 1 slogan in the Chinese tourism industry this year, according to a survey conducted jointly in April by Qunar.com, a travel website, and Xiaohongshu, an Instagram-like app, which analyzed the main trends in travel.

The unemployment rate for people between the ages of 16 and 24 reached a record of 20.4% in April, according to official statistics.

The youth unemployment rate could get even worse with the entry this summer of a record 11.6 million university students into an already difficult job market, the Ministry of Education estimated at the beginning of the year.

Different temples tend to attract different types of worshipers. Dedicated to the Tibetan Buddhist faith, Beijing Yonghe Temple, also known as Lama Temple, is a popular spot for those seeking professional or financial success.

It registered the largest increase in visitors of any temple in the country in March and early April, up 530% from the same period last year, according to Qunar.

much incense

China is officially an atheist nation, but it recognizes five religions: Buddhism, Taoism, Protestantism, Catholicism, and Islam. The first two are an essential part of Chinese culture, which has tens of thousands of temples and monasteries throughout the country.

Temple visits have more than quadrupled this year compared to last year, according to recent data from Qunar and Trip.com, another travel site. About half of the visitors are in their twenties and thirties.

“Under the pressure of studies, work, marriage and relationships, more and more young people are turning to traditional culture such as temple prayers and blessings to relieve stress,” said Yang Yan, an analyst at the Chinese brokerage firm Nanjing Securities.

Social media has also fueled the boom in temple tourism, as young people like to share their experiences in temple spaces, he added.

Emei and Jiuhua are two of China’s famous “Four Holy Mountains of Buddhism,” which are home to the country’s largest Buddhist temples and cultural heritage sites.

Emei Mountain, in the southwestern province of Sichuan, received 2.48 million visitors between January and May, 53% more than the same period in 2019, before any restrictions were imposed due to the pandemic.

Emei Shan Tourism, which offers tour services around the mountain, has enjoyed soaring sales, posting a record net profit of US$9.8 million in the first quarter, up 262% from the same period in 2019.

Its shares have risen 44% in the past 10 trading sessions, becoming some of the best performers on Chinese stock markets over the period.

Taoist sites have also experienced strong growth in worshipers.

Longhu Mountain in Jiangxi province, one of the birthplaces of Taoism, received 4.73 million visitors in the first quarter, 47% more than in the same period of 2019.

Wudang, another famous Taoist site featured in the movie “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”, saw a 23% increase in visits during the January-March period compared to 2019.

Placebo effect

In addition to praying to deities for career success, supplicants seek luck by winning the lottery.

The Communist Party banned gambling in China when it took power in 1949. But the government runs two types of lotteries to raise funds for sporting events and social projects.

Lottery sales reached 50.33 billion yuan ($7.1 billion) in April, up 62% from a year ago, according to data. published by the Ministry of Finance at the end of May. These are the highest sales for the month of April in a decade.

“It is clearly a real-life placebo,” analysts at Hangzhou-based Caitong Securities wrote in a research report on Sunday. In medicine, the placebo effect is the experience of feeling better after taking a dummy pill or treatment.

In times of economic uncertainty, more people tend to seek solace in faith or in other comforting pursuits such as buying lottery tickets, raising pets, attending concerts or spending time with hobbies such as anime or comics, analysts said.

“The main attraction of buying lottery is to provide comfort to people,” they added.