If you’re a fan of the Chinese legend of the Monkey King, there might be a perfect job for you. A scenic area in China is looking to hire someone to dress up as the Monkey King to hang out in a cave and be given bananas by tourists.
Wuzhishan Scenic Area in northern China’s Hebei province is looking to hire the right person to dress up as the mythical Chinese character, the Monkey King, for $842 a month. The job sounds pretty simple as the employee must simply hang out in a cave at the bottom of a mountain and be given bananas and other snacks by tourists.
The Chinese legend of the Monkey King is quite popular in the country. The story follows Sun Wukong, a monkey born from a stone who acquires supernatural powers from a Taoist martial artist. He fights like a warrior, uses a golden magical staff and travels around on clouds as he accompanies the sacred monk Tang Sanzang on his “Journey to the West” to obtain Buddhist sutras in India.
The journey starts on Wuzhishan, or “five fingers mountain,” which is why the Wuzhishan Scenic Area is looking to hire someone to play up the lore. The job duties require the employee to don a monkey mask and costume and hole up in a cave at the bottom of the mountain. They must also accept snacks offered by visiting children, including apples, instant noodles and bananas. Minimal experience is needed.
“There are no academic requirements. The main requirements are having a passion for Sun Wukong, a certain talent for acting, and the ability to be lively, cheerful, approachable to interact with tourists,” a manager at the site said.
The manager added that two people had already been hired to play the character and that they are just looking for one more employee. The actors are also not required to eat all the food offerings on the spot. Instead, the current actors usually saved some of their bananas to share with colleagues after their shifts.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/06/travel/china-job-monkey-king-wanted-intl-hnk/index.html