Game into reality: how a KaiFeng park with NPC characters, $15 tickets, earned $180 million and reshaped Chinese tourism
Three‑day tickets at just $15, annual revenue up 15‑fold to $180 million, 68% of tourists choose destinations for immersive experiences. Wanfu Mountain transformed from a regional park into a national hit where every visitor becomes part of the story.
As reported by CCTV+, interactive entertainment has made visits to tourist attractions across China more engaging and immersive, leading to a sharp rise in visitor numbers. Wanfu Mountain theme park in Kaifeng, Hunan Province, has become one of the most talked‑about destinations over the past year, where visitors often stop mid‑walk to engage in unpredictable interactions. Park visitors don't just watch performances — they actively seek to join in. More than 1,000 performers move through the park daily, improvising and interacting with guests.
This new tourism model is known as "NPC interaction". NPC stands for non‑player character, a term from video games meaning a character that cannot be controlled. Performers actively engage visitors, drawing them into the storyline. What was once a relatively unknown regional attraction has now become one of China's hottest tourist destinations. Last year, with tickets costing just $15 for three days, the park earned about $180 million, nearly 15 times more than in 2022.
Li Hanyuan, Deputy General Manager of park operations, admitted: "The sudden popularity actually took us by surprise. In its early days, our resort mainly focused on immersive performances, including small local shows. Quite by accident, we introduced more interactive programmes as new offerings, and found that visitors loved them. So we gradually increased such interactive activities."
But this is not an isolated phenomenon. A new generation of theme parks is emerging across China. At many viral attractions, visitors queue for hours to meet their favourite NPCs, often just to capture a viral social media moment. These immersive characters turn online buzz into real foot traffic, breathing new life into traditional tourist sites. Chen Yuying, professor at Henan University's School of Culture and Tourism, noted: "It's not about copying each other's ideas, but rather a shared understanding that everyone has recognised the shift in market demand. According to the China Tourism Academy, 68% of domestic tourists now choose scenic spots based on whether they offer immersive experiences — a very high figure." Wanfu Mountain is already exploring partnerships with scenic spots elsewhere in China to replicate its successful model.
NPC (Non‑Player Character) is a video game term for a character not controlled by the player. In China's tourism industry, this concept has become a full‑fledged trend: actors playing NPCs interact with visitors, creating live, unpredictable scenarios. Wanfu Mountain in Kaifeng pioneered this format. With low ticket prices ($15 for three days) and high engagement, it attracted a massive audience. The fact that 68% of tourists now choose destinations for their immersive quality confirms a shift in consumer behaviour.
When 1,000 actors take to the park streets daily and visitors stop being spectators, the line between reality and play blurs. Wanfu Mountain has proven that the future of tourism is not passive viewing but active participation. A $15 ticket for three days turned into $180 million in revenue — because people pay not for entry but for emotion. And when an NPC approaches you and starts a conversation, you forget it's a performance. You become part of the story. Chinese parks have learned: to attract tourists, beautiful views are not enough — you must give them a moment to remember. And that moment, born in Kaifeng, is already multiplying across the country.
