Wall Street Journal: Chinese Youth Are Flooding This Ancient Temple to Pray for Good Jobs

Today, the ancient Longhua Temple is packed with young people burning incense, chanting scriptures, and kneeling before Buddha statues. At a time when many are struggling to find jobs, the temple is locally regarded as a sacred place to pray for career success. "Job opportunities are getting scarcer; it feels like no one's income is increasing, and people aren't as optimistic as they used to be. It feels like everyone has lost hope," said 26-year-old Kacie Kang during a recent crowded Saturday morning visit.

China's new generation is developing an interest in religion. This doesn’t mean they’re studying ancient sages like more young Americans or attending formal Sunday worship with priests or pastors. More often, Chinese youth participate in these rituals hoping for tangible benefits—such as passing exams or earning more money.

With wages stagnating and youth unemployment remaining high, Chinese people have good reason to burn incense and pray at temples. Visiting temples is typically inexpensive, which is another attractive factor. Chinese online travel platforms report that temple visits have surged in recent years, driven largely by young people.

Longhua Temple is said to be Shanghai’s oldest temple, with a history of over 1,700 years. Its tree-lined grounds feel far removed from the city’s hustle and bustle. Admission is free.

Kang came to Longhua Temple to pray for success in her new job at a chemical trading company. She is still in her probationary period and is stressed about finding new clients.

She said her previous job involved ever-increasing workloads and longer hours without any pay raise. Seeking change, she accepted a lower-paying new role. "Now job hunting is basically picking the least bad option from a pile of messes. As long as you lower your standards enough, you can always find a job," she said.

Kang sat under a tree waiting for a friend, playing with several wandering cats. Nearby, children tried to toss coins into a large metal cauldron. It’s said that if the coin lands inside, their wish will come true.

Groups of tourists holding joss sticks circled the seven-story Longhua Pagoda, praying for blessings. Gift shops were packed with people buying prayer beads and amulets. A winding queue formed outside the temple’s vegetarian restaurant, famous for its noodles served at about $2 per bowl.

Metal racks wrapped around tree trunks were tied with countless long red ribbons, where people wrote down wishes for career or academic success. Some hoped to achieve high scores in China’s crucial college entrance exam, the gaokao.

Yang Fenggang, a sociology professor at Purdue University and founding director of the Center on Religion and the Global East, said most Chinese don’t formally convert to a specific religion, but many hold some religious beliefs or practices.

For many Chinese, practices like burning incense are seen more as cultural traditions than religious acts. The 2018 Chinese General Social Survey found that nearly one-third of adults under 35 had visited a religious site in the past year to pray for health, academic, or career success.

Chinese people tend to be very direct when seeking specific blessings. If prayers at one temple go unanswered, they might try another temple—or even a different religion.

"For Christians, there’s no alternative. There’s only one God," Yang said. "God may grant your request or not. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be God—it would be a vending machine."

Li Yongqing, 23, said he believes in the God of Wealth, worshipped in Chinese folk religion and Taoism. About a year ago, after graduating from university and starting work, he began visiting Longhua Temple.

He came to pray for smooth sailing in his cosmetics live-streaming sales job. Li said the industry has seen a flood of new entrants over the past two years, forcing sellers to slash prices.

"Competition is extremely fierce," he said. "Honestly, every industry is incredibly brutal now."

Dai Yuanyuan, 24, works in a biological lab, assisting experiments that could help develop the next life-saving drug. After two years in this role, she wants a new job with higher pay and better career growth.

She said praying might help. "Finding jobs isn’t easy now. The number of university graduates increases every year," she said.

Twelve-year-old Dong Yutong came here with her mother. She said she came to Longhua Temple to pray for good grades—and also to enjoy a bowl of noodles.