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Celebrities participating in interactive performances in scenic spots will help increase the popularity of scenic spots and promote the optimization and upgrading of the cultural tourism industry. This job also provides an idea for actors to transform. Professionals believe that the key to developing star NPC models in scenic spots is to tap into their own cultural genes and make them the carrier of local characteristic culture.
Recently, a group of actors who have been active on the screen have entered the scenic spot and become "star NPCs (non-player characters)" that are hotly discussed among netizens. From "Emperor Professional" Zheng Guolin to "Master Professional" Kou Zhenhai, to TVB actors Ma Jingtao, Li Guolin, etc., they put on costumes, transformed into classic characters in film and television dramas, and interacted immersively with tourists from all over the world.
Why do scenic spots choose professional actors as NPCs? Experts interviewed believe that celebrity actors bring their own traffic and topics, have profound professional performance skills, and have good interactive effects. Scenic spots invite celebrities to serve as NPCs, which not only captures the short-term traffic trend, but also is a new attempt to transform and upgrade immersive cultural tourism.
At the same time, whether the traffic dividends of celebrity NPCs can be sustained and how to break away from short-term gimmicks and achieve long-term development of the industry have become hot topics of discussion in the industry.
Encountering "Li Shimin" in a scenic spot
"While walking in the scenic area, I suddenly bumped into 'Li Shimin' from the childhood screen. That sense of surprise is a very precious tourist experience." Recently, tourist Lin Jin told reporters about the scene where she met actor Zheng Guolin in the Huaqing Palace Scenic Area in Xi'an. In his imperial appearance, he interacted cordially with tourists and performed impromptu performances, which made the tourists' experience instantly full. Reports show that since 2025, Zheng Guolin has performed in dozens of scenic spots in China.
Not only Zheng Guolin, many veteran film and television actors have entered the scenic acting track. During the National Day holiday in 2025, Luo Jiaying, who played "Tang Sanzang" in the movie "Journey to the West", appeared in Songcheng, Hangzhou, wearing a cassock and singing "only" you"; during this year's Spring Festival, Jiang Hua, the actor who played Yongzheng in the TV series "Nine Five Supremes", wore a "dragon robe" in Guangdong for Eternal Love, delivered "imperial edicts" on the spot, and also performed impromptu Cantonese rap; during this year's National Day holiday, actor Liu Xiaoqing appeared at the Song Dynasty Martial Arts City in Long Live Mountain, Kaifeng, Henan, and interacted with the "Wang Po" on the spot, triggering a rush of onlookers.
For scenic spots, inviting celebrities and professional artists to stay for short-term cooperation has become an efficient marketing method to attract traffic. Relevant staff of Hengdian Film and Television City told reporters that the scenic spot invites professional artists and stars to cooperate in the short term every year based on the needs of theme activities. "Most of them have been filmed in Hengdian and are highly related to the scenic spot. With the influence of artists, the scenic spot can effectively increase its exposure."
Yin Jie, a professor at the School of Tourism at Huaqiao University, said that in the era of experience economy, tourists are pursuing interaction and participation. Star NPCs can bring immersive interaction and meet tourists' needs for in-depth experience.
Changes in the development environment of the film and television industry are also the reasons why celebrities "switch careers" to serve as NPCs. Actor Zheng Guolin once said frankly that he played the role of NPC because "there were no better job opportunities at the time."
"With the improvement of AI computing power, AI short dramas, TV series and even movies are gradually spreading, and actors' performance space may be squeezed. These actors also need space for transformation. NPC interaction provides actors with a transformation idea." Yin Jie said.
Can star NPCs bring sustainable revenue?
Compared with amateur NPCs, celebrity NPCs with their own emotional filters and traffic popularity have a more prominent drainage effect.
A person in charge of the scenic spot revealed that after the announcement of the celebrity presence, the sales of tickets for the scenic spot soared by 150% in one week. On the short video platform, topics such as "Celebrity NPCs" and "Celebrities working in scenic spots" continue to dominate the list, and their popularity even exceeds their film and television works in recent years. For a time, the scenic spot became the "second stage" for celebrities.
However, can the use of celebrity NPCs in scenic spots really bring sustainable revenue?
"Although celebrities bring their own traffic, the life cycle of this traffic is limited. Most tourists are 'star chasing'. Once the novelty wears off, the repurchase rate will plummet. In addition, compared with ordinary NPCs, celebrity NPCs have higher salaries. For scenic spots, labor costs are also higher." said Hong Tao, director of the Sustainable Business and Innovation Working Committee of the China Association for Trade in Services and a professor at Beijing Technology and Business University.
Blindly following trends and homogenizing content further restrict the development of the industry. Many tourists have reported that the NPC characters in major ancient cities and ancient scenic spots are highly similar, and most of them have nothing to do with the local context of the scenic spots.
"Every time I arrive in the ancient city, there are meetings between Li Bai, Du Fu, and gods. They have little connection with the scenic spot itself, and I am already tired of aesthetics." Shu Hua, a tourist, said that he would like to see NPCs that are consistent with the cultural heritage of the scenic spot. For example, he saw Song Jiang in the Song Dynasty Martial Arts City and Bai Suzhen in Hangzhou West Lake. "The character must fit in with the local culture to have a soul."
Explore sustainable development paths
“The key to transforming star NPCs from a short-lived traffic hotspot into an engine for the long-term development of scenic spots is to complete the change in thinking from ‘chasing the trend’ to ‘system operation’,” said Yin Jie.
Deeply cultivating local culture and polishing the core of content are the keys to breaking through homogeneity. "The key to developing the star NPC model is to tap into its own unique cultural genes, deeply integrate the NPC's setting and story with the local historical context, create an experience that 'lives' in the local soil, and let the star NPC become the carrier of local characteristic culture." Yin Jie believes.
"High-quality immersive cultural tourism formats rely on systems rather than individuals." Hong Tao said that scenic spots should establish standardized scripts, training, interactive processes and risk control mechanisms, such as clear physical boundaries and emergency response techniques, and use standardized and refined management models to get rid of sole reliance on celebrities' personal traffic.
"Mature artists have strong personal IP tags. If they want to deeply fit the tone of the scenic spot and settle into the exclusive character IP of the scenic spot, it requires a long running-in period. The scenic spot should cultivate its own original character IP and create an exclusive 'Dream Maker' NPC system." Hengdian staff said.
The most important thing is to form a development ecology. "Translate the attention brought by celebrities into the cultivation of the scenic spot's own IP, create personal social accounts for NPCs, and continue to output content; develop derivatives, co-branded products, etc. to extend the IP value to a wider industrial chain. In addition, through reasonable ticket and consumption pricing, lower the experience threshold, attract and retain a wider customer base, and provide a stable passenger flow foundation for the long-term operation of the NPC model." Yin Jie suggested.
Reporters Qin Yishu Wang Jiajun
Source: Workers Daily
