中国における16～24歳の若者の失業率が悪化し始めたという報道；
Annabelle Liang & Nick Marsh “China youth unemployment hits high as recovery falters” https://www.bbc.com/news/business-66219007
Michelle Toh "China cuts rates again as youth unemployment hits new record high" https://edition.cnn.com/2023/06/15/economy/china-rate-cut-youth-unemployment-intl-hnk/index.html
疑問に思うのは、分子／分母問題。16～24歳というと、そもそも就業していない人が多い年齢層なのではないだろうか。18歳未満だと高級中学（日本でいう高校）、それ以上だと大学*1。こうした学生は分母や分子に含まれているのだろうか。
ともかく若者の就業が難しくなっている状況の中国においては意外なものが活性化している。それは仏教である；
Amy Hawkins “Temple visits rise in China as jobless young people seek spiritual assistance” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/22/temple-visits-rise-china-jobless-young-people-spiritual-assistance
曰く、
今年の１月から５月までに、四川省にある中国仏教の聖地のひとつである峨眉山*2を訪れた人は250万人であり、これは（コロナ前の）2019年の同時期よりも50％多い。
According to data released by the Chinese travel platform Qunar, the number of visitors to temple scenic spots increased by 367% in the first quarter of this year, compared with the same period in 2022.Much of that increase can be accounted for by the opening up of tourist and cultural destinations since zero-Covid restrictions were abandoned in December. But some other religious sites are also experiencing increases in visitors compared with their pre-Covid levels.
According to Trip.com, another travel platform, about half of the templegoers in January and February were born after 1990. Millennials and Gen Z are part of a cohort of young people facing record levels of unemployment. In May, the unemployment rate for 16- to 24-year-olds hit 20.8%. China’s difficult economic recovery from zero-Covid and slowdowns in the education, property and technology sectors have squeezed opportunities for fresh graduates, causing many to have more faith in deities than their degrees.The phrase “incense-burning youth*3” has caught fire on social media, referring to young people who have turned to spiritual offerings in an attempt to increase their prospects. “Between going forward and going to work, I choose incense,” is one popular catchphrase.
The slogan reflects a desire to pray for self-improvement, as well as the decision of some young people to opt out of the rat race altogether. It has been linked to neijuan*4, or “involution”, the term used to describe the intense pressure felt by young people in China, where putting in more effort often feels futile.
Many temples have cashed in on this demand for spiritual nourishment by offering meditation courses, on-site cafes and, according to some reports, psychological counselling centres. All this has been labelled the “temple economy” by some commentators.Buddhist-style trinkets are also increasingly popular. In January, Lama temple, Beijing’s biggest Buddhist monastery, issued a statement clarifying that it had not authorised third-party platforms to sell Lama temple bracelets, contrary to the claims of some online vendors.
Although the Chinese Communist party is officially atheist, many people turn to ancient practices in times of need.Prof Emily Baum*5 of the University of California, Irvine, who studies modern Chinese history, said: “In China, which has a long history of ancestor worship, youths might go to a temple to leave offerings for deceased relatives in the hopes of receiving favour in the future.”
For Chinese worshippers, burning incense is a practical as well as spiritual act. Prof James Miller*6 of Duke Kunshan University in Jiangsu, China, an expert on the Chinese traditional practices of Taoism, said: “Visiting temples is not seen as a necessary indicator of religious belief but as a practical step that anyone can take to help with the problems that they are facing.
“Although the Chinese Communist party promotes atheism, it also promotes traditional Chinese values, which are inscribed in China’s long and complex religious history.”
John Ruwitch “The unemployment for young people in China hits a record high in May” https://www.npr.org/2023/06/15/1182377255/the-unemployment-for-young-people-in-china-hits-a-record-high-in-may
John Ruwitchが（上の『ガーディアン』の記事でも言及されている）北京のチベット仏教寺院、雍和宮の境内でインタヴューを行っている。
上の記事では、仏教寺院しか言及されていなかったけど、道教の道観への参拝者も増えている。
See also
Laura He "People in China are so worried about the economy they’re asking for divine intervention" https://edition.cnn.com/2023/06/09/economy/china-unemployment-temple-lottery-intl-hnk/index.html
「中国失業者 求神佛盼好運」https://www.orientaldaily.com.my/news/international/2023/06/11/572195
*1:本科（４年制）だけでなく、専科（短期大学）もあり。また、研究生院（大学院）進学者も増えている筈。
*2:See also https://sumita-m.hatenadiary.com/entry/20100427/1272340035
*3:焼香青年。
*4:内巻。See eg. 「中国語【内卷】は日本語で何と言う？内卷 neijuanの意味や読み方」https://ohayochinese.com/neijuan/
*5:https://twitter.com/emilybaumUCI See eg. https://sites.uci.edu/emilybaum/
*6:See eg. https://scholars.duke.edu/person/James.Miller https://sites.duke.edu/jamesmiller/
