Spark Study Buddy (Explorer): Online game inspires surge of tourism in China
Stunning visuals from ‘Black Myth: Wukong’ are driving visitors to the real-life locations featured in the game
“Black Myth: Wukong” has boosted tourism in Shanxi, China. Photo: Game Science[1] An area in northern China that has never been a tourist hotspot is now attracting crowds. It is all thanks to the popular new online game Black Myth: Wukong, which includes scenes from the area. The game was released on August 20. It quickly became a hit at home and overseas, selling 8.4 million copies in the first three days.
[2] Of the 36 major sites where scenes were shot, 27 are based in areas in Shanxi province in northern China. This is about 500km from Beijing. Since the game’s release, Shanxi has seen tourism increase as many people travel to the places that appear in the game
[3] One of those spots is Xiaoxitian Tour Zone in Xi county, which has a Buddhist temple from the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Ticket sales for the venue have tripled recently, as 21st Business News reported. Its manager told the media that they would put more tickets on online sales platforms and add content from the game to the temple’s website.
[5] According to Meituan.com, searches for visitor attractions in Shanxi on the same day the game launched rose by 156 per cent compared to last year. The top three most-searched destinations were Yungang Grottoes, Fogong Temple Wooden Pagoda in Ying county, and Stork Tower. “I am from Inner Mongolia. I’d like to see what these places in the game look like in reality,” a tourist who visited the Wooden Pagoda told state broadcaster CCTV.
[6] Sun Jiajun, director of tourism development for Ying county, said most of the visitors to the Wooden Pagoda had recently learned of the attraction through the game. The majority had travelled from Beijing, Shanghai and eastern China’s Zhejiang province.
[7] Black Myth: Wukong was adapted from the novel Journey to the West. It is regarded as one of the greatest ancient Chinese classics. The story is about a Chinese Buddhist monk named Xuanzang, who travels to India in the 7th century to seek out and collect Buddhist scriptures. Xuanzang is protected by his three disciples along the way. Sun Wukong, famously known as the Monkey King, is the oldest and most skilful of the three.
Source: South China Morning Post, August 28
Questions
1. In paragraph 1, when was Black Myth: Wukong released?
___________________________________________________
2. According to paragraphs 1 and 2, there has been … in the number of tourists visiting Shanxi province after the game was released.
A. an increase
B. a decrease
C. no changes
D. none of the above
3. How much have the ticket sales for the Buddhist temple increased according to paragraph 3?
A. one time
B. two times
C. three times
D. four times
4. Why did the tourist mentioned in paragraph 5 visit the Wooden Pagoda?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Circle the correct answers for each sentence below. (3 marks)
(i) Shanxi province is attracting crowds (because / because of) the popular game Black Myth: Wukong.
(ii) The Wooden Pagoda became a popular destination (because / because of) it is featured in the game
(iii) Xuanzang travelled to India (because / because of) he wanted to collect Buddhist scriptures
6. Complete the following paragraph using “from” or “in”. (3 marks)
Many of the scenes in Black Myth: Wukong were filmed (i) _______ Shanxi province. One of them was a Buddhist temple built (ii) _______ the Ming dynasty. Most visitors came (iii) _______ other parts of China to visit these attractions.
Answers
1. August 20
2. A
3. C
4. because they wanted to see what it looks like in reality
5. (i) because of; (ii) because; (iii) because
6. (i) in; (ii) in; (iii) from