Jia Baoyu has left the pages of A Dream of Red Mansions and wandered into a Beijing theme park.
Dressed as the famous literary character, performer Jiao Yang strolls past roller coasters and food stands, greeting visitors and stopping for selfies. Later, she may reappear as the Peach Blossom Fairy, dancing to traditional music with other costumed performers.
Jiao once performed in a stage production at Beijing Happy Valley. Back then, the audience remained at a distance. Today, she works as an NPC — a "nonplayer character," to borrow the language of video games — and the distance has disappeared.
Visitors do not simply watch her. They approach her, begin conversations and treat her as someone they have entered the park specifically to meet.
From riding attractions to meeting characters
NPCs began as characters controlled by a game rather than a player. In Chinese theme parks, the term now describes actors who remain in character while interacting with visitors.
Some sing or dance. Others perform magic, tell stories or appear in parades. Visitors may complete small challenges with them, earn virtual currency and exchange it for gifts or discounts.
For Jiao, this is very different from performing on a traditional stage. She must respond to strangers face-to-face, often without knowing what they will say or do next. The work has made her more outgoing — and shown her that visitors are often looking for more than entertainment.
Many younger guests come to form a connection with a favourite character. An NPC may remember them from an earlier visit, continue a shared joke or make them feel briefly like the hero of a private story. That personal attention gives people a reason to return even after they have tried every major ride.
The actors benefit from the exchange as well. Jiao says the happiness is not one-way: Visitors respond to her performances with enthusiasm, giving her energy in return.
A theme park that does not end at sunset
This appetite for interaction is also changing the park itself. Beijing Happy Valley is adding performances, music and nighttime experiences alongside its traditional attractions.
Its new 99-metre Ferris wheel takes 22 minutes to complete a turn, offering views of Beijing's skyline from 46 cabins. After dark, illuminated rides, live bands and evening parades encourage visitors to stay rather than head home after one final roller-coaster trip.
Performances are refreshed regularly, while actors appear in different roles throughout the park. The aim is to make each visit feel slightly unpredictable: Guests may know where the Ferris wheel is, but they do not know which character they will meet beside it.
That is the larger change taking place. A traditional theme park asks, "Which ride would you like to try?" An immersive one asks, "Who would you like to be today?"
For a few hours, visitors are no longer standing outside the story. They have stepped into it.