The Gods and Goddesses Who Guard the Heart
Across Asia, love is not left to chance.
With Valentine’s Day upon us, it is worth remembering that long before dating apps and algorithms, people were already searching for love in deeply spiritual ways.
Finding love in Asia has often meant visiting temples, tying red threads, making offerings, and asking the gods of love for clarity and blessing. Romance here is not only emotional — it is cultural, communal, and sacred.
From China to India, love has its protectors.
🌙 Yue Lao — Destiny and the Red Thread (China)
In Chinese folklore, lovers are connected by an invisible red thread — a bond that may stretch or tangle but can never break. This belief centers around Yue Lao, the “Old Man Under the Moon,” one of the most respected Asian gods of love.
Unlike Cupid’s sudden arrow, Yue Lao works quietly. He ties red cords around those destined to meet, ensuring that even if time or distance intervenes, their paths will eventually cross. Love, in this tradition, is guided by fate.
Across Taiwan, Hong Kong, and mainland China, devotees visit temples to pray for marriage and partnership blessings. One of the most renowned places to seek guidance is Longshan Temple, where worshippers offer incense and ask for a compatible, sincere partner.
In Hong Kong, guests staying at The Fleming can take a short trip to Repulse Bay’s Tin Hau Temple, where a statue of Yue Lao is visited by those praying for guidance in finding a compatible and lasting relationship.
For a more social expression of searching for love, the Shanghai Marriage Market presents a fascinating cultural tradition. Here, parents gather publicly with profiles of their children, actively matchmaking in a communal setting. It is a reminder that in Chinese culture, partnership is not only personal — it is family-centered and deeply rooted in society.
In this tradition, love is patient, intentional, and written before it unfolds.
🌺 Kamadeva — Desire and Divine Energy (India)
If Yue Lao represents destiny, Kamadeva represents desire.
In Hindu mythology, Kamadeva is the god of love and attraction, often depicted holding a sugarcane bow with flower-tipped arrows. While his imagery may resemble Cupid, his symbolism is broader. Kamadeva represents beauty, longing, fertility, and the life force that sustains creation.
According to legend, he once attempted to awaken desire in Lord Shiva to restore cosmic balance.
Though he faced destruction for his boldness, love was ultimately restored to the world — emphasizing that desire, when aligned with harmony, is essential to life itself.
In India, love is expressed not only romantically but spiritually. Devotion between human and divine, celebration through festivals such as Holi, and the artistic expression found in temple carvings and classical dance all reflect the cultural depth of love’s presence.
From Tamil Nadu’s temple towns to Rajasthan’s historic palaces, love in India is both sacred and expressive — woven into ritual, architecture, and daily life.
Here, love is not simply fate. It is a powerful, sustaining energy.
Love as Culture, Love as Journey
Whether it is Cupid’s arrow in the West, Yue Lao’s red thread in China, or Kamadeva’s floral bow in India, cultures across the world recognize that love shapes human destiny.
Across Asia, searching for love has never been merely private. It is spiritual, cultural, and passed down through generations. People continue to pray for love, protect it, and celebrate it — not just on Valentine’s Day, but throughout the year.
At Secret Retreats, we believe meaningful journeys connect you to these deeper stories. Beyond landscapes and architecture, travel allows you to understand the philosophies that shape societies.
Whether you are finding love, searching for love, or simply exploring the stories of the world’s great gods of love, Asia reminds us that love is intentional, revered, and often guided by forces greater than ourselves.
And perhaps that is why, across continents and cultures, love continues to endure.
