Vietnamese Valentine’s: help me find a partner, Buddha

A woman prays to find love on Valentine’s Day at Ha Pagoda in Hanoi on February 14, 2024. Young men and women flocked to an ancient pagoda in central Hanoi on February 14 hoping a Valentine’s Day offering would help them find a partner — a major priority for many Vietnamese.//AFP

Hanoi, Vietnam – Young men and women flocked to an ancient pagoda in central Hanoi on Wednesday hoping a Valentine’s Day 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.

Vietnam is a communist state but…