Viral: Man holds 'Airpod' on Buddha statue's ear to express his desires

CHENNAI: A Chinese man embarked on a 2,000-kilometer journey to reach the Leshan Giant Buddha, where he creatively expressed his desires by using a large airpod-shaped speaker.

Zhang positioned the speaker next to the ear of the 71-meter tall Buddha statue, hoping that higher volume would enable the deity to better hear his wishes.

A video of this has gone viral and has garnered a huge number of likes and comments.

In the video, Zhang passionately exclaimed, "Giant Buddha, did you know that I'm 27 years old and I lack a car, a house, and a girlfriend?"

He moved on to express his desires for the Buddha statue, requesting both financial prosperity and a genuine, loving girlfriend who values him for who he is rather than his wealth. According to the South China Morning Post, Zhang stated, "Firstly, I want to be rich. I don’t need much. 10 million yuan (equivalent to Rs 11.81 crore) is enough. Most importantly, I want a girlfriend, who is just a little bit pretty, tender and loves me rather than my 10 million!"

Zhang's decision to undertake a 12-hour journey from Zhejiang province to Sichuan was prompted by a streak of misfortune attributed to the astrological phenomenon known as "mercury retrograde."

Mercury retrograde occurs three to four times a year and involves an optical illusion related to the realignment of the planet Mercury. Many individuals attribute their personal woes to this phenomenon.

To enhance his interaction with Buddha, Zhang purchased the speakers online, believing that they would be a fitting complement to his wishes.

The video sparked various responses from netizens, with one user commenting, "Between relying on others and relying on himself, he chose to rely on Buddha."

Another commented, "Is it possible that since you placed the earphone to the wrong ear of the Buddha, he didn’t hear your wishes?"