Office workers flock to temples at the beginning of the year.

Hanoi – After the Lunar New Year celebration at her company, Hanh Ngan and over 100 colleagues boarded three 45-seater buses to visit major temples in the city center.

First, they stopped at Lien Hoa Pagoda in Hoang Mai District, near the company, then went to Quan Su Pagoda in Hoan Kiem District. Around 3 PM, the group continued by car to Tay Ho Temple. The roads were congested and crowded, so only the leaders could squeeze into the main altar, while over 100 employees bowed from afar.

"Because it's so crowded here, it's chaotic and time-consuming, and tiring," said Hanh Ngan, 30, an employee at an electronic payment company.

Thousands of people crowded into Tay Ho Temple on the first working day after Tet, the 6th day of the lunar calendar. Photo: Hai Hien

On the afternoon of the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, 35-year-old construction engineer Mạnh Tuấn and his colleagues visited a series of temples and pagodas in Hanoi to pray for wealth and good fortune. Their first stop was Tây Hồ Temple. Although they expected it to be quiet at noon, it took him 45 minutes to reach the main courtyard and another few dozen minutes of jostling to get to the main altar. Despite the crowds and prayers, Tuấn persevered, reciting all his wishes before finally feeling fulfilled.

The father of two plans to visit three more temples on the afternoon of the 6th day of Tet: Tao Sach, Van Nien, and Tran Quoc, all located in Tay Ho district. He plans to visit more temples in other provinces over the weekend.

"After the pandemic, all projects stalled, and income dropped by up to 70%, so no matter how busy I am, I have to prioritize going to the temple," said this construction engineer.

Many office workers crowded together to offer prayers on the first day back at work after Tet. Photo: Quynh Nguyen

According to a survey conducted by VnExpress from noon on the 6th day of Tet (Lunar New Year), thousands of people visited temples such as Van Nien, Thien Nien, Tao Sach, Phu Tay Ho, Tran Quoc, Quan Thanh (Tay Ho district), Quan Su (Hoan Kiem district), and Ha (Cau Giay district) to offer prayers at the beginning of the year.

Besides areas with designated parking lots, many cars have to park on the street. Traffic congestion stretching for several kilometers on Lac Long Quan, Xuan Dieu, Dang Thai Mai streets and the turn-off around West Lake (near Phu Tay Ho temple) forced authorities to coordinate traffic flow.

A member of the traffic control and order maintenance force around Tay Ho Temple said that a large number of people had flocked there before Tet, but on the 6th day, the first day that government offices reopened, the number of worshippers surged, estimated to be one and a half times higher than on previous days.

According to cultural researcher Pham Dinh Hai, visiting temples at the beginning of the new year is a traditional cultural belief of the Vietnamese people, which has been inherited and is not against the law.

According to traditional Vietnamese beliefs, people go on spring excursions with a joyful spirit, enjoying the warm spring atmosphere and observing the blossoming and growth of nature. Visiting temples at the beginning of the new year is not only to wish for good things for family, relatives, and friends, but also a time to reconnect with spirituality and learn more about traditional culture.

"But nowadays, fewer people come to sightsee, and more come to pray for success, fame, and money, especially office workers. This has led to a misunderstanding of the original purpose of visiting temples at the beginning of the year," Mr. Hai said.

Associate Professor Dr. Do Minh Cuong, Deputy Director of the Institute of Business Culture, Association for the Development of Corporate Culture, stated that the phenomenon of office workers taking advantage of, or even skipping work, to go to temples at the beginning of the spring season has been around for many years.

Basically, the custom of visiting temples and pagodas at the beginning of the year is good, creating a relaxed and peaceful state of mind, but the rush to these places can easily affect work efficiency, cause traffic congestion, and litter indiscriminately. To avoid overcrowding and fatigue, Mr. Cuong suggested that businesses should organize spiritual tourism trips at appropriate times, avoiding congestion.

People who go to worship should also be selective, avoiding blindly following the crowd. "Going to worship is good, but it's also important to understand that Buddha resides in the heart. Each person should cultivate virtue, accumulate merit, and improve their knowledge and experience, rather than simply relying on deities for good results," Mr. Cuong said.

People light incense and pray at Quan Su Pagoda in Hoan Kiem district on the afternoon of the 6th day of Tet (Lunar New Year). Photo: Pham Nga

Hanh Ngan said that visiting the three temples Lien Hoa, Quan Su, and Phu Tay Ho at the beginning of the year has been a company tradition for the past eight years. Like other company group activities, the temple visit attracts a large number of employees.

"Nowadays, it's not just about going to temples at the beginning of the year to pray for good fortune, but it has become a corporate culture, an event that strengthens employee loyalty to the company," said the woman who has worked here for 6 years.

Furthermore, she found the company's plan to go on a spring trip to the temple reasonable. Not everyone is in the mood to start work right away on the first day back. The trip helps everyone relax, have fun, and have a quiet moment for themselves.

"We arranged to visit the temples and pagodas in the city center in just one afternoon, not taking up too much time or energy, but still fulfilling our needs, so that the next day we would have enough mental and physical health to start a new year of work effectively," she said.

Bich Ngoc, 45, from Ha Dong district, also intended to visit the temple after the company's New Year's opening ceremony, but she was forced to pray from the gate of Tay Ho Temple because it was too crowded to squeeze inside. Worried about wasting time and affecting her work, she went home, planning to return in a few days.

"I went to pray for good luck, but outside there was a lot of pushing and shoving, and inside I felt uneasy because I was afraid of being pickpocketed, so I went home," she said.

Quynh Nga - Hien Duong

Source: https://vnexpress.net/dan-van-phong-do-xo-di-le-dau-nam-4711884.html