Eight days, seven cities—a whirlwind tour that defined actor Zheng Guolin's work schedule during the National Day holiday a month ago. From October 1 to 8, he maintained a relentless pace, not just logging miles but also switching between roles. One moment, he was a regal emperor commanding the historic grounds of Xi'an, Shaanxi Province in northwest China; the next, a mystical martial artist in a white robe, engaging tourists in friendly martial arts demonstrations in Anji, coastal Zhejiang Province.

Since earlier this year, Zheng has been a frequent presence in non-player character (NPC) performances at scenic spots nationwide. His established recognition from numerous television roles gives him a head start with audiences. In parks, he often plays the classic characters he has portrayed on the screen.

"At first, I did feel embarrassed—being recognized by tourists who said I was a washed-up actor forced to work as an NPC," he told China News Service. But as he immersed himself in the role, his perspective transformed. "I came to understand that being an NPC is fundamentally still acting—it demands the same professional knowledge and dedication, only the stage has changed."

As invitations from tourist destinations multiplied and visitors increasingly sought him out for face-to-face interactions and photographs, Zheng realized his career had entered a new chapter.

Screen to scene

Zheng's experience reflects China's "NPC craze" sweeping across the nation's tourism sector in recent years, attracting visitors to destinations.

"Many traditional tourist attractions now face waning visitor interest, especially among younger generations," Han Yufeng, Marketing Director of the Baidongxia Tourist Area in Yangxin County, Hubei Province in central China, told China News Service. "For numerous scenic spots, the breakthrough lies in fundamentally shifting from passive sightseeing to immersive, interactive experiences where visitors don't just see something but become part of something."

Professional actors possess distinct advantages in this new landscape. Their training in character development, improvisation and audience engagement translates seamlessly to NPC roles.

For actors navigating career transitions, NPC work represents what industry insiders call a "win-win situation." As many performers find suitable parts harder to come by, NPC work at scenic spots allows them to continue applying their hard-won skills while securing a stable income. Tourist destinations inviting actors with established fan bases generate immediate social media buzz and boost visitor numbers in an increasingly competitive market.

The movement extends far beyond leveraging star power. Across China, innovative tourist spots are developing customized live NPC programs aligned with their unique characteristics and local lore.

The Baidongxia Tourism Area, renowned for its spectacular karst landscapes featuring a dramatic canyon connecting numerous caves, recruited over 20 "monster" NPCs during the October holiday. These performers, playing characters from Chinese mythology, interacted with tourists through improvised scenarios, earning daily wages of up to 1,000 yuan ($140).

The "monster" positions were sought after. With no educational requirements and daily pay ranging from 500 to 1,000 yuan ($70-140), they drew thousands of applications from young people seeking alternative career paths.

Han explained that the destination has been introducing live NPCs during holidays since this year. "The appeal of pure natural landscapes is diminishing in today's market. We must shift from traditional sightseeing to immersive interactive experiences, and we've found that human interaction is key to breaking the old model."

Similarly, the Shennongjia Scenic Area in Hubei gained online fame with its "wild man" recruitment campaign. Shennongjia has long been associated with the "wild man," a mythical figure in ancient Chinese books, lending intrigue to the region for generations. This legend has now been creatively adapted into a show for immersive tourism experience.

According to the detailed job description, successful "wild man" candidates would work during July and August, their responsibilities including patrolling the scenic area in customized costumes and interacting with visitors exclusively through body language—not uttering a single word. The job pays 500 yuan per day and astonishingly received over 2,000 applications within the first 24 hours after the job posting was announced.

Online response was immediate and enthusiastic. Many netizens declared it the "ideal career"—a job requiring no talking and allowing justified improvisation. For countless young Chinese professionals weary of conventional workplace pressures, the position means getting paid to escape summer heat while enjoying nature, perfectly aligning with their aspiration for flexible work.

Challenges and directions

According to statistics from the ILLUTHION International Immersive Industry Platform, a Chinese organization dedicated to providing full-chain solutions for the development of immersive experiences, 2023 was a turning point for China's immersive industry. As of late that year, the number of immersive experience projects in China had exceeded 32,000, an 81.5-percent increase compared to late 2019.

Beyond traditional scenic spots, multi-purpose venues have emerged to offer immersive experience. The Shanghai Film Park, which opened to the public in 2000, originally focused primarily on providing filming locations and set design services for movies and television series, with tourism accounting for just one third of its total revenue.

In 2022, due to a decline in its filming business, the park urgently needed to find new growth drivers. Cultural tourism, and immersive experiences in particular, became their strategic focus. That year, the Shanghai Film Park began developing immersive products, designating a specific area within the park to create The Cage-Breaking Feast. This groundbreaking immersive theatrical production, created by a talented young team from the Shanghai Theater Academy, gained instant acclaim when it premiered in 2022. Set in Shanghai in 1945 during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the play features 15 main characters and over 100 subplots, performed by more than 40 actors.

To enhance authenticity and interactivity, the project incorporates elements rarely seen in traditional theater. Specific scents are diffused to match scenarios—when investigating a crime scene, players might detect a damp, musty smell that intensifies the scenario's realism and emotional impact.

During this year's October holiday, Tan Yang, a student from Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, participated in the play for four consecutive days, each time assuming a different role. "Even when the story concluded, I was so overwhelmed that I didn't want to leave," she told China Newsweek magazine.

This strategic transformation has fundamentally altered the Shanghai Film Park's business model. General Manager Lu Xuling said that before 2019, tourism, filming services and set design each contributed roughly one third to its total revenue. As of 2024, driven mainly by the explosive development of immersive content, the cultural tourism sector accounted for over half of its total revenue.

Despite the sector's exciting growth, challenges remain. Li Yongshun, a cultural industry analyst based in Shanghai, believes that for immersive experiences to be competitive, the key lies in creating genuinely captivating contents that resonates on social media platforms.

However, to his knowledge, an alarming 70-80 percent of Chinese immersive projects ultimately fail. Common reasons include over-reliance on marketing hype with lackluster content that fails to meet elevated market expectations, coupled with insufficient operational experiences and poor supporting services like dining options that lead to a rapid loss of target customers.

Yet the evolution of products continues to accelerate. According to Fu Yibin, Chairman of industry consultancy China Tourism Development Unit, the market is already preparing fourth-generation immersive products. "The deep integration of AI technologies, directors, scriptwriters and makeup artists will potentially customize content in real-time for players entering specific scenarios, offering truly personalized experiences that respond dynamically to individual choices," he said.

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon

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