Journey to the waistline: 'Just eat and get paid' job attracts applicants in Hebei

The "dream job" of "just eat and get paid" actually requires a little more than that, a scenic area worker responded to netizens' joking remarks after a recruitment advertisement for the tourist attraction went viral online recently.

According to a screen grab of the advertisement circulating on various social media platforms, the Taihang Wuzhishan Scenic Area in Shexian, Hebei province, is recruiting actors to play the Monkey King, or Sun Wukong, a popular hero from the novel Journey to the West, one of the four classic novels in Chinese literature.

The screen grab said that all the actor has to do is eat the food provided by tourists and can receive 6,000 yuan ($850) a month, with reasonable hours and shifts.

The posts quickly attracted the interest of netizens, as many jokingly said that such a position is their "dream job" for getting paid by just eating, and they can't even finish all the food because it kept coming. Others also worried that binge eating and a lack of exercise every day would lead to health issues.

An official surnamed Jiang from the scenic area told the news outlet Red Star News last week that the area was indeed recruiting actors to play the Monkey King, but the position may not be as easy as "just eating" sounds.

"The actor also needs to like the Monkey King and be able to imitate its signature postures, facial expressions, and voice, and needs to be friendly and interactive with tourists," Jiang said, adding that those with a background in acting or good at making short videos and livestreaming would be even better.

In the novel Journey to the West, the Buddha trapped the Monkey King, who at the time was a naughty and obstinate macaque pack leader, with his magic force under his hand for 500 years, and the macaque cultivated kindness throughout the penance and later guarded the Tang Monk who went to the Western Heaven to acquire scriptures.

Wuzhishan, meaning "Mountain of Five Fingers," is said to have taken its name because five peaks resembled the five fingers of the Buddha and have trapped the Monkey King under it. The Monkey King actor recruited by the scenic area will re-create the scene: staying in a cave while poking out the head and one hand, as passers-by — tourists in this case — feed him fruits and snacks.

Jiang said that there are already two actors in this job, including one who often participates in the scenic areas' large performances that re-create scenes from the novel. As the Spring Festival is arriving and more tourists are expected, they plan to add one or two more. He added that there have been more than 100 inquiries every day recently after the recruitment notice went viral.

Although the cave behind the actor's body has an area of 3 square meters and is equipped with heating and chairs, and actors shift every one or two hours, it is not an easy job because they have to remain in one position for quite a long time, he said.

Wang Xiaoyun, one of the existing actors, told the news website ThePaper.cn that he has been working for about a year. A former folk opera performer, Wang joined the scenic area as the local troupe did not have enough gigs during the epidemic.

"I'm indeed tired, but I'm also happy," he said. "Some tourists like Journey to the West so much and want to experience it more deeply."

Wang added that there are indeed "occupational hazards." "There is so much food, and I just can't finish it all," he said.

"I've gained some 15 kilograms since I got this job. Maybe I'll have to play Zhu Bajie (a gluttonous, obese, and pig-headed supporting role and one of the three helpers of Tang Monk in Journey to the West who often gets taunted) in the future," he said semi-jokingly.