Young man asks for leave from work early, travels 50km to Ha pagoda to pray for love at the beginning of the year

Ha Pagoda (Dich Vong Ward, Cau Giay, Hanoi ) is a familiar address for many young people to pray for love. A group of Dan Tri reporters were present at Ha Pagoda on the afternoon of February 3 to record the crowded atmosphere here.

Right at the entrance, the ward People's Committee and the pagoda management board have arranged two spacious, free parking lots for people.

Before the ceremony, young people often buy a tray of offerings, including incense, betel, fruit, cakes, candles... and of course roses (the flower symbolizing love). The price of each tray ranges from 50,000 to 300,000 VND depending on the number of offerings.

In addition, some trays of offerings also have red threads, woven into a bracelet, expressing the wish for a good marriage at the beginning of the year. Two young people, Huyen Nhi and Minh Anh (born in 2005) also bought these bracelets for their trays of offerings. The price of these bracelets is about 10,000-30,000 VND/piece.

Ngoc Anh (born 2003, in the middle) and a group of friends from Hung Yen went to Hanoi to visit the pagoda at the beginning of the year. She and her group traveled 50km, starting early in the morning, to go to Ha pagoda to pray for luck, fortune, health and especially love.

Those who come to Ha Pagoda for the first time will be given a prayer form. Some young people said that when they come to Ha Pagoda to pray for love, they must prepare three offerings. First is the offering to the Three Jewels to pray for peace, next is the offering to the God of Wealth to pray for fame and fortune, and finally the offering to the Mother Goddess to pray for love.

Mr. Kien - the caretaker of Ha Pagoda - said that 70% of the people who come to the pagoda are young people. "Many young people go to pray for love in the hope of finding a partner. In some special cases, there are people around 40-50 years old who also come to the pagoda to pray for a partner because their love life comes late," Mr. Kien shared.

To make their wishes come true, young people entrust their wishes to a petition. Each petition will include the full name, year of birth, address and wishes of each person.

Many young men and women lined up to draw lots at the beginning of the year. Hoang Nhat Minh (born 2001, brown shirt) said he and his friends came to draw lots to see their fortunes for the new year.

"The information in the petition is for reference only. The important thing is to perfect and practice your personality in reality to have a proper life as desired," Nhat Minh said.

Mr. Kien added that not only Vietnamese people but also foreigners come to Ha pagoda to pray for love.

"They go with their Vietnamese lovers to hope for a lasting love. There are also Western visitors who come to the temple with an interpreter. They are introduced to the temple so they come to pray for love," said the caretaker of Ha Temple.

Many young people said they have been to Ha Pagoda 3-4 times. Not only praying for love, Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) also hope for a successful year of studying and working, with lots of luck.

In addition to going to the temple, young people take the opportunity to record beautiful moments with family and friends on the first day of the new year.

The area where votive paper is burned is equally crowded. The votive paper and paper will be burned with the wish for peace, happiness, and stronger love in the coming year.

Photo: Nguyen Ha Nam

Dantril.com.vn

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/doi-song/nguoi-tre-xin-nghi-lam-som-vuot-50km-di-chua-ha-cau-duyen-dau-nam-20250204091306338.htm