'Living legends' breathe fresh life into tourism

Portraying figures from history and literature, NPC players attract hordes of visitors

Wearing a full suit of armor and with a sword dangling by his side, Zhang Yanfeng, 28, is not your typical theme park performer.

To portray the character of General Guan Yu — one of the most revered figures in Chinese history whose life has been immortalized in numerous literary works — he dons armor weighing over 40 kilograms for each performance at Wansuishan Martial Arts City, a popular theme park in Kaifeng, Henan province. His helmet alone weighs 7 kg.