ALBAWABA - As Black Myth: Wukong took the gaming world by storm, reaching more than 2.4 million concurrent players on Steam and beating games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Baldur's Gate III, it seems to have even sparked interest in China itself resulting in a surge of tourism initiatives to the country.
This doesn't come as a surprise since the game is based on one of China's most well-known ancient novels. "Journey to The West" also inspired Akira Toriyma's Dragon Ball and Wukong from Riot Games' League of Legends.
Fun fact: Did you know that Son Goku is based on Sun Wukong from the novel?
Black Myth: Wukong spikes tourism in China
Moreover, Black Myth: Wukong incorporated real-life areas from China as playable levels making players interested in visiting the country to see them.
The game in question featured 36 stunning scenic spots from across China with many of their tourism departments showing interest in promoting their locations as Black Myth: Wukong gains more traction locally and globally.
According to the Global Times, players who finish certain levels in Wukong can get free entry to a plethora of locations with some offering lifelong free entry if they complete a specific chapter in-game such as East China's Shandong Province.
Other locations offering free entry include Yunzhong Daji in Lishui, Zhejiang Province, Jinan's Lingyan Temple, Mount Huaguo in Lianyungang, and more.
Areas like Yueyang Tower in Central China are offering free entry to people who recite classical Chinese poetry to its site, as reported by the Global Times.
A user on Reddit compared some real-life locations in China with in-game ones and wrote, "I am not sure if anyone posted this before but as a recently graduated architecture student growing up in China. I feel obligated to inform y'all most buildings in this game are deeply rooted with real-world ancient temples and monasteries."
Chinese media outlet Ycai reported that visits to historic locations in northwestern Shanxi province have seen a 156 percent since Black Myth: Wukong's release on Aug. 20, 2024.
Game Science described the game on Valve's Steam as an "action RPG rooted in Chinese mythology. You shall set out as the Destined One to venture into the challenges and marvels ahead, to uncover the obscured truth beneath the veil of a glorious legend from the past."
Its developers recently celebrated selling 10 million units across all platforms including Steam, Epic Game Store, and Sony's PlayStation 5. Moreover, they thanked all the players for their support and love.
