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The spiritual or secular tourist? The experience of Zen meditation in Chinese temples

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Listed:
  • Jiang, Ting
  • Ryan, Chris
  • Zhang, Chaozhi

Abstract

By exploring the meditation camps in Nuonatayuan and Hongfa Temples, the paper examines what motivates tourists to experience Zen meditation in Chinese temples, and how they shape those experiences. The study is based on participant observation and thus includes material drawn from observation, informal and formal interviews, personal experiences and secondary documentation. From the analysis, it can be seen that the meditative experience includes sacred and secular experiences, while in the commercial setting the experience shifts to and fro between secularism and sacredness. It is noted that the tourist context of separation from daily life, the landscape values of the locations, the temple atmosphere, the sharing of experiences with like-minded individuals, contact with monks and mentors all contribute to the senses of personal wellness that participants obtain.

Suggested Citation

  • Jiang, Ting & Ryan, Chris & Zhang, Chaozhi, 2018. "The spiritual or secular tourist? The experience of Zen meditation in Chinese temples," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 187-199.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:touman:v:65:y:2018:i:c:p:187-199
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tourman.2017.10.008
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Chen, Lynn I-Ling & Scott, Noel & Benckendorff, Pierre, 2017. "Mindful tourist experiences: A Buddhist perspective," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 1-12.
    2. Ryan, Chris & Gu, Huimin, 2010. "Constructionism and culture in research: Understandings of the fourth Buddhist Festival, Wutaishan, China," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 167-178.
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    Cited by:

    1. Suling Guo & Wei Sun & Wen Chen & Jianxin Zhang & Peixue Liu, 2021. "Impact of Artificial Elements on Mountain Landscape Perception: An Eye-Tracking Study," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-18, October.
    2. Ahmed Abdel Fattah & Mary Eddy-U, 2022. "The unique twin approaches of Sufi Sheikhs and host-guest relationships at El Sayed Ahmed El-Badawy Mosque in Egypt," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 56(4), pages 2723-2750, August.
    3. Kuo-Yan Wang, 2022. "Sustainable Tourism Development Based upon Visitors’ Brand Trust: A Case of “100 Religious Attractions”," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-30, February.

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