The popular video game Black Myth: Wukong has ignited a surge in tourism for Shanxi during the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, drawing visitors eager to experience the cultural landmarks featured in the game.
At Xiaoxitian or the Little Western Paradise in Linfen City, where the intricate hanging sculptures of Buddhas have been digitally recreated in the game, the number of visitors hiked by a whopping 326 percent on the first day of the holiday on Sunday.
This unique blend of traditional architecture and modern gaming has breathed new life into Shanxi's tourism sector.
"I think it's absolutely necessary to come here. The ancient artisans' skills in making these exquisite sculptures are truly breathtaking," said Gao Mingqi, a visitor.
Leveraging the game's popularity, local attractions have introduced themed checkpoints and checkpoint pass to enhance the visitor experience.
At Chongfu Temple in Shuozhou City, visitors began lining up at 5:00 to get limited edition pass.
"As Black Myth: Wukong is super popular right now, I flew from Guangdong to Shaanxi. I began to wait in line since 5:00 just to get a checkpoint pass," said a visitor.
The provincial government has launched a themed activity related to the game, converting the global game buzz into tourism momentum.
One week before the Mid-Autumn Festival which falls on Tuesday, holiday bookings in Shanxi rose 15 percent compared with the Dragon Boat Festival in June, with international travel orders soaring by 180 percent.
Shanxi's tourism booms thanks to blockbuster game Black Myth: Wukong
Macao has been emerging as a global hub for conventions and exhibitions in recent years by exploring the enormous opportunities in the sector, driving the region to advance its economic diversification and embrace a brighter future.
Macao has received many awards this year, such as the Best Convention City (Asia) and the Best BT-MICE City, showcasing the recognition for and influence of Macao's exhibition industry.
More than 1,000 electronic game enthusiasts from all over the world gathered recently in Macao to participate in a esports themed event.
Su Zhili, organizer of the event, said that Macao's rich experience in hosting large-scale events, coupled with its good infrastructure, has driven him to choose the region as an ideal destination to hold such an activity.
"Macao has held many similar large-scale events. It has rich experience, and the facilities at the venue are relatively mature, so we can start our work comfortably," said Su.
During the first three quarters of 2024, Macao held more than 1,000 conferences and exhibitions in total.
"We will invite more professional, special conferences to be held in Macao and also cultivate more exhibition brands with international influence in Macao, so as to promote Macao's exhibitions to be more market-oriented, professional, international, digital and greener from various aspects. This is our goal," said Elaine Wong, member of the Macao Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute.
In addition, multiple large exhibitions and conferences, such as the Macao International Trade and Investment fair, the Macao Franchise Expo, and the International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum, are held regularly in Macao.
With the introduction of a series of policies and measures to facilitate the exchanges between the mainland and Macao, as well as the construction and development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, Macao's convention and exhibition industry will embrace more opportunities for development in the foreseeable future.
"We have such a good industrial base in the Greater Bay Area. The mode of 'Convention and Exhibition + Industry' not only integrates the industries of Macao, but also the industries of the Greater Bay Area. In addition, Macao actively integrates into the national development and plays a role in the Belt and Road. Why are we so confident in Macao's convention and exhibition sector? Because it is backed by the motherland, and the country gives Macao great support," said Alan Ho, chairman of the Macao Association of Convention, Exhibition and Tourism Sectors.
Macao emerges as global hub for conventions and exhibitions, driving economic diversification and international recognition
