MK sports Korea Southwest China's Sichuan Province, on February 15, 2025. Photo: VCG" src="https://www.globaltimes.cn/Portals/0/attachment/2025/2025-02-16/6cb20b8e-e040-49d6-a24c-7270291b8ef9.png" />

Visitors take photos of a Nezha statue in the Jiaozi shopping district in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, on February 15, 2025. Photo: VCG

Ne Zha 2, the Chinese film sensation, has captivated audiences and driven a surge in the number of visitors to destinations tied to its mythological narrative, fueling a tourism boom.

Since the movie's breakout success, visitor numbers to the Cuiping Mountain scenic area in Yibin, Southwest China's Sichuan Province have surged, with the Nezha Palace, which was built in 1991 and was inspired by mythological stories, garnering increasing attention, according to the local publicity department.

"Typically, visitor numbers at the scenic areas drop after the Spring Festival holidays, but since February 1, traffic has not decreased. In fact, it has continued to rise," a spokesperson from the scenic area's publicity department told the Global Times on Sunday.

Since the Spring Festival holidays, the highest daily number of visitors to the Nezha Palace reached about 8,000 and the average daily number of visitors is about 4,000, according to the spokesperson. From February 1 to 15, the Ne Zha Palace had welcomed a total of 65,000 visitors, nearly three times more than the number in the same period last year. 

In the week leading up to February 6, online searches for Ne Zha-related destinations such as Yibin and Jiangyou in Sichuan surged, with Yibin experiencing a 225 percent increase and Jiangyou seeing a 453 percent rise, data from China-based travel platform Fliggy showed. 

The success of Ne Zha 2has also driven a surge in tourism in Xixia county, Central China's Henan Province, with attractions like the Ne Zha ancestral temple and Chentang Pass historical site, Ne Zha's home in the mythological story, gaining popularity, Zhang Kai, deputy director of the Xixia cultural tourism development service center, told the Global Times on Sunday.

The number of visitors at major attractions across the county has risen year-on-year, with hotel bookings nearly doubling since the release of the movie. Overall, the county has seen an 18-percent increase in visitor arrivals and a 13.2-percent rise in total revenue, fuelling growth in related sectors such as dining and accommodation, Zhang said.

To further boost tourism, Xixia, in partnership with seven major attractions in the county, launched a promotion offering free entry to scenic spots and complimentary tourism experiences with a Ne Zha 2movie ticket.

Other places have also actively supported and launched movie-related cultural tourism initiatives, fully embracing this exciting opportunity.

The Ne Zha statue on Jiaozi Avenue in Chengdu, Sichuan has become a major attraction in the city, drawing large crowds of tourists eager to take photos, according to residents living near the area.

"In the evenings, when the screens of the Chengdu Twin Towers in the Tianfu International Financial Centre light up with images of Ne Zha and Ao Bing from the movie, the sight of visitors snapping pictures below is truly remarkable," a 27-year-old Chengdu resident surnamed Zhang told the Global Times on Sunday.

Zhang said that she feels as though the city has been transformed into a "Nezha City." "I'm delighted to see so many designers bringing the characters from Nezha 2 to life. The photos I got are simply breathtaking," she said.

The tourism surge reflects China's growing cultural confidence, as well as the rise of domestic film production teams and technological advancements, Zhang Lingyun, professor and the executive editor-in-chief of Tourism Tribune, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Leveraging films' popularity to drive tourism is a new trend, dependent on production quality, audience reception and box office success, Zhang said. "Unlike traditional food and travel tourism, this model of cultural tourism integration enhances visitor experiences through innovative film-based products and immersive activities," he added.