A viral video of a costumed performer feeding candy to a tourist has forced China's immersive tourism industry to ask a difficult question: where does hospitality end and impropriety begin? A bell rings. A curtain parts. A young man in a crimson-and-black robe steps out, smiling. He lifts a red veil, bites a lollipop and leans toward a visitor. Phones rise across the crowd.
The performer, known by the stage name Little Yellow Fish, became one of the most recognizable non-player characters (NPCs) at Gexian Village Resort in Shangrao, East China's Jiangxi province. His performances relied on improvisation and close interaction with visitors. The formula worked. Clips spread rapidly across Douyin, helping turn the resort into a viral tourist destination.
Then came the "blackfish". On May 1, People's Daily's Minsheng Weekly published a commentary citing Little Yellow Fish as an example of tourism performances that blurred the line between entertainment and inappropriate behavior in pursuit of online traffic. The following day, both the performer and the resort issued public apologies. The changes were immediate. The lollipop is now handed directly to visitors rather than shared through physical interaction. The resort also announced revised performance guidelines.
The incident has drawn attention to one of the fastest-growing sectors in China's tourism industry: immersive NPC performances designed to turn scenic areas into interactive experiences. China's tourism market continues to expand. At the same time, travelers are increasingly seeking interactive and emotionally engaging experiences rather than traditional sightseeing alone. According to market consultancy iiMedia Research, China's "emotion economy" — consumer spending driven by emotional connection, social interaction and immersive participation — reached 2.31 trillion yuan in 2024 and is projected to grow to 4.5 trillion yuan by 2029.
NPC performers have emerged at the center of that trend. Scenic areas across China now employ actors portraying historical, literary or fictional characters who interact directly with tourists. The rapid growth of the industry has produced sharply different styles. Some performances rely heavily on exaggerated physical interaction and short-video appeal. Others focus more on storytelling and cultural interpretation.
For Zeng Bowei, director of the research center for China's tourism economy and policy at Beijing Union University, the NPC boom reflects broader changes within China's tourism market. "Not every destination has world-famous natural scenery. In a highly competitive market, relying only on landscapes is no longer enough," Zeng says. "Tourists no longer simply want to sightsee, they want interaction and participation. NPCs meet that demand," he explains.
The debate surrounding Little Yellow Fish also revealed divided public opinion online. While some commentators supported tighter oversight of tourism performances, many young social media users defended the interactions as voluntary and harmless. Zeng believes the controversy reflects the lack of clear industry standards. "But the challenge is that there is no clearly defined boundary. Certain behavior may not violate regulations, yet some people still consider it vulgar or inappropriate." He cautions against discouraging innovation altogether.
Experts concur that the most sustainable NPC performances are those closely tied to local culture and storytelling rather than short-lived online trends. For China's tourism industry, the debate surrounding a single lollipop performance has become part of a broader discussion about how immersive tourism should develop as the market continues to grow.