Scenic spots get in on youngsters' fervor for live action role-play

Visitors to the Sui and Tang Luoyang City National Heritage Park in Henan province are being transported back to the glory days of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), and immersed in a world where they must solve an intriguing mystery, with all interactive characters dressed in period costume as they help to unravel the twisting storyline before their very eyes.

This is jubensha－a live-action role-playing game that's sweeping the nation, especially among young people. So popular has it become that specialist businesses have been set up solely focusing on jubensha, as well as jubensha games being organized in hotels, and now even at scenic spots around the country.

Qingcheng Mountain in Chengdu, Sichuan province, is one such scenic spot that's started dabbling in jubensha. Similarly, at a scenic spot in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, their jubensha offering revolves around six ancient Chinese art forms－those of rites, music, archery, riding chariots, calligraphy and mathematics, with players having to get interactive with all of them.

"Travel has become not just about scenery," said Sun Hongyan, who operates a travel agency in Luoyang. "People want an experience, and they want to learn about history and culture.

"With live-action role-playing games like jubensha, visitors can be more immersed in the culture and history of a region in a more fun and exciting way."

During the National Day holiday last year, Sun's company took visitors on an interactive journey where they played an active part in the plot and storyline from the moment they arrived and got on the tour bus. From then on, all stops, from food and transport to hotels and scenic spots, were carefully choreographed with employees and visitors playing their respective roles to advance the story and finally solve the mystery.

Yang Kan, a tourism industry expert, said that because of the versatility and adaptability of jubensha, it can be applied to even more tourism products and activities.

"The transformation of jubensha from being just a tabletop role-playing game to a live action one shows role-playing game enthusiasts want an elevated player experience. This crossover collaboration with tourism can benefit both sides."

According to data from iiMedia Research, a market information provider, in the first half of 2021, among offline entertainment trends preferred by Chinese consumers, jubensha ranked the third most popular just after going to the movies and fitness.

By the end of 2021, the number of jubensha venues nationwide exceeded 45,000.