A blockbuster animated movie telling the story of an ancient Chinese mythological figure is attracting foreign audiences to embark on a trip to China to experience for themselves the history of China that spans several millennia.
Garnering 282 million viewers and having achieved the milestone of the highest-grossing animated film of all time globally, "Ne Zha 2" has become a phenomenal movie, encouraging inflows of tourists to explore real-life locations that are believed to link with the film.
With the film being released worldwide since Feb 13 in countries like Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Egypt, and Japan, it has been generating curiosity about Chinese culture in its international audience base, with some of them deciding to start a trip to the country.
Sanqing Mountain in Shangrao City of east China's Jiangxi Province, where the master of Ne Zha's mentor is said to have practiced Taoism, has been welcoming foreign visitors over the recent period of time.
To take advantage of the film's cultural attraction, Jiangxi has rolled out characteristic travel routes and is selling merchandises of "Ne Zha 2" in high-speed trains and railway stations.
The Tianxin Pavilion in Changsha City, central China's Hunan Province, has seen increasing international tourists, who are attracted to the iconic landmark by its exquisite ancient Chinese towers and gardens, as well as the majestic ancient city walls. All these are the cultural elements showcased in "Ne Zha 2".
"I really liked it, because the animation in it was amazing. The attention to detail was really nice. I really liked the characters in it. It had a nice mixture of seriousness and fun and a little bit of comedy. Overall, it was great," said Ruben, an Armenian tourist.
Traveling can help tourists develop in-depth understanding of local cultures and traditions and touring around China is especially helpful as the country has a great cultural and geographical diversity, said Sophia, a Russian tourist.
"I really like traveling, especially around China, because China is a really big and amazing country. And around the country you can see different things. Traveling is a really big part of learning the culture and the tradition of a country," she said.
Blockbuster animated movie draw international tourists to China with rich cultural elements
