Chinese province becomes tourist hotspot after ‘Black Myth: Wukong’ release

Shanxi province in northern China experienced a surge in tourism following the highly anticipated release of “Black Myth: Wukong” on Aug. 20. Tourism reportedly increased by 50% in August compared to July, while hotel bookings skyrocketed by 120% on the day the video game was released.

Key areas: Game Science filmed 27 of the 36 major sites featured in “Black Myth: Wukong” in Shanxi. These include notable landmarks such as the Yungang Grottoes, the Fogong Temple Wooden Pagoda and the Stork Tower. Fans of the game have visited the Yuhuang Temple in Jincheng City to see the colored sculptures from the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). The Xiaoxitian Tour Zone, a Buddhist temple from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in Xi County, also saw a threefold increase in ticket sales following the game’s release. The locations featured in the game were either faithfully recreated or modeled based on the real-life historical buildings.
Online popularity: Aside from a tourist boom, Shanxi also saw an increase in online searches for its key destinations. Searches for attractions in the province rose by 156% compared to last year. Online travel agency Qunar reported on Aug. 21 that searches for Taiyuan, Shanxi’s capital city, rose by 10% from the previous week.

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