Cultivating Happiness: Young Tourists' Buddhist Vegetarian Practices and Their Positive Psychological Effects

ABSTRACT This study examines how participating in Buddhist vegetarian practices enhances the happiness of young visitors living under growing social and digital pressure. Drawing on Positive Psychology Theory, Social Practice Theory, and Attention Restoration Theory, four structural models were developed and tested using survey data from 400 visitors at Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou, China. The findings show that Buddhist vegetarian engagement significantly increases happiness. Cultural capital, involvement, and health capital promote this engagement, while temple landscapes having therapeutic social, physical, and symbolic qualities strengthen both engagement and well‐being. The integrated model that combines visitor capitals and temple environments explains happiness most effectively. This study advances wellness tourism research by demonstrating how personal resources and restorative temple settings jointly shape youth well‐being and provides practical insights for temple managers and policymakers seeking to cultivate culturally grounded vegetarian experiences.