[Reading level: B1 – Intermediate]
Young men and women flocked to an ancient pagoda in central Hanoi on Valentine’s day, hoping an 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.
In Vietnam, Buddhist and Confucian traditions are 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.
“My parents are getting older day by day. They just want me to get married and have kids,” Duong explained as his reason for worshipping on Wednesday.
Marriage and family are traditionally important in Vietnamese society, increasing pressure on young people to wed and have children.
The legal marriage age is 18 for women and 20 for men, but as in many increasingly urban, educated societies, few Vietnamese settle down so early. In 2022 the average age of marriage was just under 30, according to official data reported by state media.
Too much focus on work, and the usual distractions of the 21st century – smartphones, internet and social media – have eroded would-be young sweethearts’ social skills, psychology expert Nam said.
“They have become like robots,” he said.
This may partly explain the appeal of supernatural help.
“I have prayed here at this pagoda five times for a relationship,” Nguyen Thi Trinh, 26, said. “I believe I will be blessed with a boyfriend this year, so that the family would stop asking ‘When are you going to get married?’”
Source: https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3251963/vietnamese-singles-pray-buddha-partner-valentines-day-please-help-me?utm_content=article&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR3VIj3IYAAQudCgWl5doYW4Sy-5gdYYAQQzbtoN7QVepfEmzXKsv5RmWbA#Echobox=1707911267
WORD BANK:
flock to somewhere /flɑːk/ (v): đổ xô đến đâu đó
ancient /ˈeɪn.ʃənt/ [B1] (adj): cổ
offering /ˈɑː.fɚ.ɪŋ/ (n): lễ vật
priority /praɪˈɔːr.ə.t̬i/ [B2] (n): ưu tiên
tray /treɪ/ (n): mâm
altar /ˈɑːl.tɚ/ (n): bàn thờ
mumble /ˈmʌm.bəl/ [B2] (v): lẩm bẩm
Confucian /kənˈfjuː.ʃən/ (adj): thuộc về Nho giáo
prosperity /prɑːˈsper.ə.t̬i/ [C1] (n): sự thịnh vượng
stem from /stem/ [C1] (v): bắt nguồn từ
Christianity /ˌkrɪs.tʃiˈæn.ə.t̬i/ (n): Thiên chúa giáo
divine /dɪˈvaɪn/ (adj): mang tính thần thánh
seek /siːk/ [B2] (v – formal): tìm kiếm
intervention /ˌɪn.t̬ɚˈven.ʃən/ [C2] (n): sự can thiệp
procedure /prəˈsiː.dʒɚ/ [B2] (n): thủ tục
spiritual /ˈspɪr.ə.tʃu.əl/ [B2] (adj): thuộc về tâm linh
worship /ˈwɝː.ʃɪp/ [C1] (v): đi lễ, cầu nguyện
wed /wed/ (v): kết hôn
settle down [C2] (v): kết hôn
erode /ɪˈroʊd/ [C2] (v): làm xói mòn
would-be /ˈwʊd.bi/ [C2] (adj): muốn hay đang cố gắng làm gì
sweetheart /ˈswiːt.hɑːrt/ (n): người yêu
appeal /əˈpiːl/ [C1] (n): sự cầu khẩn
supernatural /ˌsuː.pɚˈnætʃ.ɚ.əl/ [B2] (adj): siêu nhiên
bless /bles/ (v): phù hộ
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