09 Apr YOUNGSTERS ARE ‘ESCAPING’ TO TEMPLES

Post 90s and millennials are  increasingly going to Zenthusiasm trips to temporarily escape from the city life. They visit isolated ancient temples and live a minimalist but expanse-free life there for 5 days to even months, profoundly exploring the healing power of traditional Buddhist culture.

On social media platforms, hashtags #Zenthusiasm trip now has 91 million and 530 million views on RED and Douyin respectively.

Most of them are university students, young professionals, layoffs, and freelancers. They spend their ‘gap week’ or ‘gap months’ in the temples and follow a regular routine of early rising (5pm) and early bedtime (9pm). The daily schedule there is also slow and easy, including meditation, chanting, copying scriptures, Buddhist lectures, ritual ceremonies, cleaning, and vegetarian meals, etc.

Photos from RED user @五二at Nuo Na Temple, Jiang Xi 

They find life there relaxed and healing, while the Chinese Zen and Buddhist culture also help them to leave the pressures behind and find the long-expected inner peace. In addition to it, people also find natural intimacy and sincere friendships that is rarely experienced in big cities. The university student @五二 shares that she had experienced an unprecedentedly calm, peaceful and vital lifestyle at NUO NA temple in Jiangxi, and learnt much life principles during the trip.

For citizens, one-day Zen trip experience is also emerging. Like Xi Yuan Temple in Suzhou, people visit there to bless, eat vegetarian noodles, copying scriptures for hours. Lots of them also just spend their whole day there sitting in the garden with a cup of tea, immersing themselves in the peaceful, Buddhist ambient.

The temple, vegetarian noodle and peaceful stay at XI YUAN TEMPLE, Suzhou 

Contact us to learn more about the zen & temple economy in China