Parents pin hopes on praying at temple for gaokao

Parents are flocking to Zitong county in Sichuan province, which houses a notable temple of literature. [Photo: West China City Daily]

(ECNS) -- Parents are flocking to Zitong county in Sichuan province, which houses a notable temple of literature, to pray for luck before the upcoming national college entrance exam.

The temple at Qiqu Mountain honors Wenchang, or Wenqu, a Taoist deity in Chinese mythology known as the God of Culture and Literature.

The Sichuan-based West China City Daily said tourists crowded the temple on June 1, most of whom came to pray for their children's high scores in the national college entrance exam on early June.

A staffer at the temple said those parents came alone during the three-day festival, leaving children at home to study, and every Spring Festival also sees many parents who bring students there.

Besides the college entrance exam, locals come to the temple for all kinds of exams, including high school entrance exams, TOEFL and driving tests.

Fan Wenli, a tour guide at the temple, said tourists from Beijing and Shanghai as well as foreigners came to pray.

The price of prayer incense at the temple varies widely, from 68 yuan ($10.88) to 1,498 yuan ($239.78), and some parents buy expensive incense to show their sincerity.

A wish tree at the temple holds many long pieces of red cloth containing parents' yearnings.

Numerous flags hanging on a wall at the temple sent by devotees after their wishes are fulfilled inspire some parents to pin their hopes on praying there.

A local travel agency promotes temple tours for high school students before the exam in online forums, and promises to arrange shuttle buses.

A total of 9.39 million Chinese students have registered to take the national college entrance examination, the world's largest, Xinhua News Agency said.