Travel for mindfulness through Zen retreat experience: A case study at Donghua Zen Temple.
Yao-Chin Wang, Po-Ju Chen, Huiming Shi, Wanxing Shi
Tourism Management September 3, 2020 DOI: 10.1016/j.tourman.2020.104211 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 520 |
| Population | Tourists who stayed at Zen retreats at the Donghua Zen Temple in China |
| Topics | Buddhism Meditation |
| Keywords | Retreat Buddhist tourism |
| Key findings | The authors identify four motivations for and three outcomes of staying at Zen retreats, and describe four themes in knowledge growth (mingxin), three themes in spiritual growth (jianxing), and two mechanisms fostering both. They propose a figure of Zen practitioners' lifelong journey and a figure categorizing Buddhist tourists into Zen tourism, Zen lifestyle, and Zen retreat by level of involvement. |
Abstract
This study seeks to contribute knowledge of the Zen retreat experience unique to Buddhist tourism. The research setting is the Zen retreats found at the Donghua Zen Temple in China. This study examined feedback obtained from 520 tourists who stayed at Zen retreats. Zen retreat organizer insights were obtained through online discussions. This study identified four motivations for, and three outcomes of, staying at Zen retreats. Within the Zen retreat experience, this study clarified four themes in knowledge growth (mingxin), three themes in spiritual growth (jianxing), and two mechanisms to foster knowledge and spiritual growth. This study further proposed a figure demonstrating Zen practitioners' lifelong journey, and a figure categorizing tourists in Buddhist tourism into Zen tourism, Zen lifestyle, and Zen retreat by level of involvement.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western Buddhists Western Buddhist meditation practitioners and experts in Theravāda, Zen, and Tibetan... | 2017 | Qualitative study with mixed-methods | |
| A phenomenology of meditation-induced light experiences: traditional buddhist and neurobiological perspectives American Buddhist practitioners | 2014 | Qualitative study | |
| Common Core Thesis and Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Mysticism in Chinese Buddhist Monks and Nuns Chinese Pure Land and Chan Buddhist monks and nuns | 2011 | Mixed-methods study | n = 139 |
| Anger regulation in traumatized Cambodian refugees: the perspectives of Buddhist monks. Buddhist Cambodian monks in Massachusetts | 2011 | Qualitative study | n = 6 |
| The Lived Experiences of Experienced Vipassana Mahasi Meditators: an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Experienced Vipassana Mahasi meditators | 2018 | Qualitative study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 7
- Tourists and ‘philosophers’: Nature as a medium to consciousness and transcendence in spiritual tourism Annals of Tourism Research February 28, 2023
- ‘I had more time to listen to my inner voice’: Zen meditation tourism for Generation Z Tourist Studies August 4, 2023
- Mindfulness oasis: Cultivating mental wellness through Zen meditation retreats for tourists with mental and psychological vulnerabilities Tourism Management June 7, 2025
- Ritual Resilience through Full-Moon Meditation: Reclaiming the Sacred Value of Sojiwan Temple in a Commodified Heritage Landscape. Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science March 7, 2026
- Seeking transcendence in the depths of the soul: an exploration into current spiritual journeys Current Issues in Tourism December 24, 2024
and 2 more in the library