Author | Xiaoluyu

Editor | Yang Xuran

The popularity of the domestic 3A game masterpiece "Black Myth: Wukong" is phenomenal, with continuously exploding sales revenue and a growing number of concurrent online users, continually making history in China's gaming industry.

The game's popularity has also driven the sales of related peripheral products, such as graphics cards needed for gaming and the "Tengyun Coffee" collaboration with Luckin Coffee. Even Chow Tai Fook's pure gold monkey king's staff, which has no cooperation relationship with the game, has gained higher attention due to Black Myth.

The game is renowned for its exquisite graphics and highly realistic reproduction of ancient Chinese architectural scenes. The locations featured in the game have attracted significant attention and have even been compiled into a travel itinerary. Many domestic and international players have been inspired by the game to visit and experience the charm of these historical architectural cultures in person.

Image source: Nanfeng Window

Shanxi Province boasts 27 filming locations from "Black Myth: Wukong," and its cultural tourism departments have acted swiftly to launch a series of activities titled "Travel in Shanxi with Wukong," attracting tourists by issuing travel permits to players.

Shanxi, which has long relied heavily on coal resources, has aspired to cultivate cultural tourism as its next core industry. The attention generated by the "Wukong Economy" towards Shanxi's ancient architectures and religious topics presents a rare opportunity to attract young people.

Long-term planning

Shanxi's cultural tourism and "Black Myth: Wukong" have been mutually supportive for some time.

The notion that Shanxi is severely underestimated has been widely circulated, as the province is renowned for its abundant above-ground cultural relics. From the all-mortise-and-tenon wooden pagoda in Ying County to the Hanging Temple perched on the cliff of Hengshan Mountain, to Mount Wutai, one of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains, and the Yungang Grottoes, one of China's Four Great Grottoes, they are all treasures of Chinese history and culture.

Unfortunately, compared to popular tourist destinations like Xi'an, Shanxi's cultural tourism market has been lukewarm, leading to posts recommending Shanxi attractions often starting with captions like "Shanxi, what are you thinking?" or "Shanxi's cultural tourism doesn't need to try hard."

However, in reality, Shanxi's cultural tourism efforts have not been lacking. As early as 2016, Shanxi officials collectively participated in the successful marketing campaign "People Say Shanxi Has Beautiful Scenery."

This Chinese first-of-its-kind reality TV show featuring party secretaries and mayors was an innovative tourism competition program born during the winter of the coal industry. At that time, Shanxi was experiencing multiple challenges politically, economically, socially, and environmentally, earning labels like "collapsed" and "precipitous decline."

Reshaping Shanxi's image and economy became a top priority for local officials.

Eventually, Shanxi's leadership decided to use cultural tourism as a breakthrough point for transformation, with the party secretaries, mayors, or deputy mayors of Shanxi's 11 prefectures taking the stage to promote their respective cities' tourism resources and compete directly, with the winning city determined by audience votes.

After the show aired, it garnered significant attention and positive social response, marking a milestone in Shanxi's transformation towards tourism. However, at the time, then-Vice Governor Wang Yixin raised a valid concern: "Our show is a hit, and the advertising is out there, but are we really ready when the tourists flock in?"

Wang's concern was warranted. To accommodate tourists, Shanxi first needed to address its transportation infrastructure. Unfortunately, Shanxi's railways were fragmented under different railway administrations, with Taiyuan, Beijing, Zhengzhou, and other administrations paying little attention to Shanxi's internal transportation needs, leading to a severe lag in railway development.

It wasn't until the end of 2018 that high-speed trains on the Datong-Xi'an Railway extended north to Datong South Station. The Taiyuan-Jiaozuo High-Speed Railway officially opened in late 2020, and it wasn't until 2022 that Shanxi's cultural tourism plan called for leveraging the transportation framework of the Datong-Xi'an and Taiyuan-Jiaozuo high-speed railways, Dayun Expressway, and Erguang Expressway to create a "human-shaped" cultural tourism development corridor.

The opening of the Taiyuan-Jiaozuo High-Speed Railway is significant for Shanxi's cultural tourism

With transportation, hotels, and scenic spots addressed, Shanxi still faces challenges in improving its business environment and enhancing online promotion and marketing.

Shanxi has previously collaborated with Dong Yuhui on two Shanxi-themed events. This year's four-day "Travel with Hui" event in Shanxi attracted over 45 million people, generating 168 million yuan in sales and nearly 9 million yuan in cultural tourism product sales. However, much of this traffic belonged to Dong Yuhui rather than Shanxi itself.

Now, the ancient architectural scenes showcased in "Black Myth: Wukong" are closer to the true essence and charm of Shanxi's historical culture. Compared to Dong Yuhui's inspirational talks and third-party evaluations, Shanxi's cultural tourism stands to gain more from leveraging and transforming these scenes.

Momentum building

The game has fueled a surge in enthusiasm among domestic and international tourists for traveling to Shanxi.

Compared to 2016, when Shanxi was still relying on television programs for promotion, the province has gradually embraced the playbook of the internet era. Of the 568 million yuan allocated by the provincial government for cultural tourism development and wellness incentives this year, 120 million yuan is dedicated specifically to promoting cultural tourism resources both domestically and internationally.

According to Ctrip's "2024 Summer Travel Market Report," inbound travel bookings to Shanxi increased by 138% year-on-year during the summer, with Taiyuan ranking fourth among provincial capitals in terms of hotel booking growth, and Shuozhou and Datong experiencing over 30% growth in summer travel bookings.

The massive success of "Black Myth: Wukong" has further fueled the growing popularity of Shanxi's cultural tourism.

According to Meituan data, on August 20, the day the game was launched, tourist interest in Shanxi's scenic spots increased by 156% month-on-month, with the highest growth rates observed at the Yungang Grottoes, Ying County Wooden Pagoda, and the Stork Tower scenic areas. Ticket sales at the Xixitian scenic area in Xi County increased by 300% compared to August 20 of the previous year.

The game's overseas popularity exceeded expectations, with many foreign players playing Black Myth while catching up on Journey to the West. The overseas viewership of the 1986 TV series has approached 4 million, and JD Travel data shows that since the game's release, orders for Shanxi travel-related products from foreign tourists have increased more than threefold month-on-month compared to July.

The implementation of a visa-free transit policy this year has significantly boosted the number of foreign tourists visiting China, with an increasing proportion opting to explore "niche" cities beyond the traditional destinations of Shanghai and Beijing. It is foreseeable that a wave of foreign players interested in China and Shanxi's architecture, history, and culture due to the game will visit the province in the future.

Even the Japanese anime "Dragon Ball Z," featuring an unrealistic version of "Wukong" as the protagonist, has attracted a large number of foreign tourists to Japan for "pilgrimages" and driven the development of related tourism souvenirs, theme restaurants, hotels, and other industries, bringing direct economic benefits to Japan's tourism industry.

While it remains to be seen whether Shanxi's cultural tourism can capitalize on this "golden opportunity" during the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays, enthusiasm for Shanxi has already ignited in the sensitive capital markets.

Shares of Shanxi Expressway opened higher on August 20, with a daily gain of up to 9.93%, followed by four consecutive days of gains, reaching a total increase of 49% over the period. For a company with a relatively mundane fundamentals and a primary business in highway management and operation, this abnormal share price movement is clearly event-driven.

Share price performance of Shanxi Expressway (since June 2024)

Lingnan Holdings stated on its interactive platform on August 22 that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Shanxi Modern International Travel Agency Co., Ltd., primarily operates in Shanxi Province and some surrounding areas. The company's business travel and tourism operations will seize market opportunities and continue to innovate and optimize tourism product offerings.

Lingnan Holdings is also viewed by some investors as a direct beneficiary of the game's boost to the cultural tourism market, with its share price surging 8.52% on August 23 before retreating to the average range. It is estimated that many are already lamenting Shanxi's lack of tourism-focused companies akin to Changbai Mountain, Emei Mountain, Jiuhua Travel, or Huangshan Tourism.

New direction

Can the baptism of popular culture bring religious and commercial enlightenment?

There are many reasons why Shanxi has not yet welcomed its "first cultural tourism stock," including shifting policy winds, controversies over scenic spot restructuring, excessive government shareholding, poor operational capabilities, lack of visibility, and financing difficulties. However, at the core lies the issue of revenue sources.

Shanxi boasts 531 nationally protected cultural relics, with ancient architecture accounting for approximately 79% of these sites, and 221 of them are open to the public. Despite their abundance, many attractions do not charge admission fees, and those that do often rely solely on ticket sales, which barely cover the cost of preserving the relics.

While the importance of ticket sales to scenic spot revenue has been declining year by year, and many attractions are using free admission to attract tourists this year, Shanxi's cultural tourism has struggled to develop secondary consumption products such as performances, cultural and creative products, leisure and entertainment, and has yet to find additional growth points beyond ticket sales to support profitability.

Therefore, Shanxi is now focused on increasing tourist flow, emulating the enthusiasm and hospitality of cities like Zibo and Harbin to attract visitors. For example, Shanxi's recent post titled "Listen up, the Iron Buddha Temple is now open" aimed to showcase the province's sincerity in welcoming tourists.

However, the comments section was flooded with criticisms accusing Shanxi of damaging relics by allowing free admission and allowing visitors to take flash photographs. This highlights another challenge for Shanxi's cultural tourism: its precious relics and rich history make many feel they can only be admired from afar, not touched.

Conversely, temples with less prominent cultural value are favored by young people in today's popular discourse, such as Beijing's Yonghegong Temple known for its "wish-granting," Suzhou's Xiyuan Temple renowned for its cat-petting atmosphere, and Hangzhou's Lingyin Temple with its witty slogan "Buddha doesn't cross the undergraduate threshold."

Fortunately, "Black Myth: Wukong" has inspired many young people religiously and created more connections between Shanxi attractions and popular culture. However, even free admission to religious attractions in Shanxi has drawn criticism, let alone further commercialization and profit-seeking efforts.

Religious attractions like the Shaolin Temple, which holds a significant position in both traditional and popular cultures, have faced negative publicity due to commercialization efforts like trademark registration and financial issues involving the abbot and temple. Nonetheless, the temple's attempts to expand revenue sources through innovative methods like licensing online games and developing Shaolin music are worth learning from for religious attractions. After all, precious relics require careful preservation, while digital assets don't fear visitors' camera flashes.

The success of "Black Myth: Wukong" demonstrates that today's productivity level allows for the collection of detailed data to create 3D models of relics and apply them in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) scenarios.

Through AR glasses, users can learn the stories behind relics. With VR projects like "Digital Dunhuang," users can immerse themselves in the experience of relics, breaking time and space constraints. On digital collectible platforms like "Chang'an IN," users can trade and collect digital versions of relics.

In April this year, Ying County government utilized AIGC technology to create a "Smart Ying County Wooden Pagoda" solution, allowing visitors to experience a cross-time tour guided by characters like Liang Sicheng and old monks through VR devices, immersing themselves in the history and present of the pagoda and ensuring its eternal life in the digital realm.

For Shanxi, which currently lacks experience in accommodating large-scale tourists and faces objective constraints, forcibly hosting large numbers of visitors could damage relics and compromise the tourist experience. In such circumstances, the digital path is worth serious consideration.