Authorities in the country have reported that the likes of the Shaolin Temple in Henna province and Yonghegong Lamasery in Beijing have seen tens of thousands of visitors since the beginning of the Year of the Pig.

Tourists are interested in buying Buddhist books and music, as well as an increasing fascination with Buddhist art, reports the China Daily.

Local people are keen to jump on the bandwagon when it comes to Buddhist tourism, with many restaurants positioned near to sites offering so-called Buddhist vegetarian cuisine.

Even Buddhist temples, monks and nuns have got in on the act, creating weblogs to keep people updated of their daily goings-on.

Some monks and nuns are even reportedly using the internet to learn about other cultures so that they can more easily mingle with people from other parts of the world.