Vietnamese singles pray to Buddha for a partner on Valentine’s Day: ‘please help me’

Many singles flocked to an ancient pagoda in Hanoi hoping a Valentine’s Day offering would help them find a partner -- a major priority for many Vietnamese

While Valentine’s Day stems from Christianity, Vietnamese have increasingly marked the occasion in recent years, seeking divine intervention in their love lives

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Local residents pray to find love on Valentine’s Day at Ha Pagoda in Hanoi on February 14. Photo: AFP

Published: 7:35pm, 14 Feb 2024Updated: 7:45pm, 14 Feb 2024

Young men and women flocked to an ancient pagoda in central Hanoi on Wednesday, hoping a Valentine’s Day offering would help them find a partner – a major priority for many Vietnamese.

Office worker Nguyen Thi Ly respectfully placed a tray with sweets, water, money – fake bills of both dong and US dollars – and the familiar Valentine’s roses on the altar at the Ha Pagoda.

“Please help me Buddha, I want to have a boyfriend this year to stop being single,” she mumbled before the altar, already packed with dozens of other similar trays.

A woman holds a tray of offerings to pray to find love on Valentine’s Day at Ha Pagoda in Hanoi on February 14. Photo: AFP

Vietnam is a communist state but Buddhist and Confucian traditions are still strong, with many people going to pray on the first, middle and last days of the lunar month for peace, luck and prosperity.

While Valentine’s Day stems from Christianity, Vietnamese have increasingly marked the occasion in recent years, seeking divine intervention in their love lives.

“It’s a spiritual procedure, but it reflects that young people now have become insecure about how to find the right other half,” said educational psychology expert Tran Thanh Nam.

Heavily focused on his work as a doctor, Nguyen Van Duong is single in his early 30s. His marital status worries his parents and himself.