Space Construction and Monks’ Attitudes in Mount Putuo’s Religious Tourism in (Post-) Covid-19 Era

This study examines the space construction in religious tourism at Mount Putuo, a famous Buddhist site and tourist destination in China. Through the ethnographic fieldwork conducted in (post-)Covid-19 times, this research focuses on the attitudes of monks reflected in their participation in local religious tourism and spatial consequences. The study contributes to the understanding of Buddhism in religious tourism by figuring out the impacts of Buddhism doctrines and the interaction between individual monks and the Buddhist community as a whole. Moreover, their adaption to new situations of Covid-19 is the specific presentation of general everyday religious life at Mount Putuo, in which actors constitute a harmonious network thanks to the mitigative behavioral tendency of the Buddhist actor. With insights into Buddhism, this study also calls for more reflection on research perspectives and the use of theories and conclusions drawn from religions different from what is studied.