A new type of tourism in China - gaming (7 photos)

An expensive computer game, “Black Myth: Wukong,” based on the novel “Journey to the West,” has been released in China. Not only did the Chinese pump it out in unimaginable quantities, but they also sent tourists rushing to the places that became the basis for the landscapes in the game itself.





These are all real landscapes, because nature has already created beauty, why invent it?

In just 3 days (! Did they even manage to walk through it all??) the influx of tourists to the sights in the northern region of China increased by almost 160 percent.

This province has never been a popular tourist destination. But when the local landscapes were included in "Wugong", people flocked to it.

Of the 36 main locations where scenes for the game were filmed, 27 are in areas located in Shanxi Province in northern China, about 500 km from Beijing.



This place is really ideal for a game location

One of these places is a Buddhist temple dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Ticket sales for it tripled after the game's release. Especially online, because people travel from different parts of the country.

The manager said they will now add content from the game to the temple site to try to keep the high flow of tourists for as long as possible.

According to Meituan, on the day of the game's launch, searches for attractions in Shanxi province increased by 156 percent compared to the same day last year.





A frame from the game, tourists want to feel like they are in the character's shoes

The top three most popular destinations were the Yungang Grottoes, the wooden pagoda of the Fogong Temple in Ying County, and the Stork Tower.

Statistics from the Tuniu travel platform showed that in August, the number of tourists to Shanxi increased by 50 percent compared to July, and the number of hotel bookings more than doubled.

"I am from Inner Mongolia. I would like to see how these places in the game look in reality,” is what each of the tourists surveyed says these days.



In the game, you play as the monkey king, which is pretty cool

What is this black myth?

“Black Myth: Wukong” (or Wukong, as we call it in the game) is a film adaptation of the novel “Journey to the West,” which is considered one of the greatest works of ancient Chinese classics.

The novel tells the story of the pilgrimage of the Chinese Buddhist monk Xuanzang, who went to India in the 7th century to find and collect Buddhist scriptures.



The promotion in China was also not weak, but they have something to be proud of

During the trip, Xuanzang was protected by three of his disciples, of whom Sun Wukong, known as the Monkey King, was the eldest and most capable.

According to experts, the Shanxi region has previously failed to become a popular tourist destination, largely due to the lack of transportation between its main attractions and insufficient promotion by local authorities.



Pilgrims have also poured into the wooden pagoda

Recently, its profile has changed dramatically with the release of about 20 videos on Bilibili capturing its scenic spots, including a series of videos titled “Traveling to Shanxi with Wukong.”

Shanxi is not the only place in China where the game’s popularity could be used to boost tourism.



Another place with scenery from the game

Lianyungang, a city in eastern Jiangsu Province that claims to be the birthplace of the Monkey King, announced that players who complete all missions will be entitled to a free visit to the famous Mount Huaguo.

To me, all this screams very well, and the game was made based on an old novel so that children could get to know it in an interesting way. And they promoted tourism within the country. Everything went in favor, even a little envious!