Are you a big fan of caves, bananas, and the Chinese legend of the Monkey King? If so, the Wuzhishan Scenic Area has a job for you. Or had. The position has probably been filled by now, but if there’s ever an opening again, let’s investigate what the job entails so you’ll be prepared. (“Tail” pun not intended.)
According to a CNN article about the job, candidates must be willing to stand in a cave wearing a monkey mask and accepting food—”apples, instant noodles and, inevitably, lots and lots of bananas”—from visitors.
The part of the CNN article I got a kick out of was a quote they shared from Shangyou News. A manager explained how there weren’t any academic requirements, which made me giggle. Can you imagine getting a Monkey King degree?
“The main requirements,” the manager explained, “are having a passion for Sun Wukong (aka the Monkey King), a certain talent for acting, and the ability to be lively, cheerful, approachable to interact with tourists. [sic]”
They already had two people filling the role but were looking to hire one more.
As jobs go, the Monkey King position comes with perks.
CNN shared that the job pays $842 a month (U.S.), which The Straits Times reported is 6,000 yuan a month, or S$1,400 (Singapore). That might not go far in a place like Beijing, but it seems to be a fair rate for the Hebei province, where the job is located.
Apparently, the hours and shifts are reasonable, too. Plus, the actors don’t have to eat all the food right as it’s given to them. They eat some, but they also save it to eat later and share with their fellow Monkey Kings.
In fact, the Wuzhishan Scenic Area seems to make working conditions as comfortable as possible. If the actors get too chilly in the cave, there’s a space heater they can use.
The Legend of the Monkey King
I had heard of the Monkey King, but I really didn’t know anything about the legend before learning about this job posting. According to CNN, the Chinese legend is “comparable to that of the Grimms’ Fairy Tales in the West.”
Mythopedia explained the legend goes that Sun Wukong started life as a baby monkey with eyes so brilliant they caught the attention of the Jade Emperor. He couldn’t believe the light he saw “piercing the clouds” came from a monkey.
As he grew, Wukong found fellow monkey friends in the forest. One day, they played a game to see who was brave enough to find the source of a nearby waterfall. Wukong won and declared himself King of the Monkeys.
But all the power went to his head. When it was time for him to die, he tricked Yan Wang, the King of Hell, and returned to Earth, bypassing reincarnation and erasing all the other forest monkeys names from the Book of Life and Death.
Well, as you might imagine, that didn’t sit well with Yan Wang, who let the Jade Emperor know. The Emperor thought if he allowed Wukong to live in heaven with the other gods, it would placate him. Nope. Wukong quickly realized the other gods didn’t consider him an equal, especially because his heavenly assignment was to guard the Jade Emperor’s horses, “the lowest task in all of Heaven.”
Wukong created mischief in heaven. Every time the Jade Emperor tried to discipline him, Wukong defeated and eluded the Emperor’s soldiers. Exasperated, the Emperor appealed to Buddha, who trapped Sun Wukong under a mountain. That’s where Tang Sanzang, a monk, found him 500 years later. Sanzang agreed to free Sun Wukong, but only if he would repent and follow the monk’s teachings.
At first, Wukong balked at serving anyone, especially a human. He was the Monkey King, after all! But he was desperate to be free again, so eventually, he agreed. He learned humility and achieved enlightenment while battling demons with and for the monk.
The Wuzhishan Scenic Area
It’s called “scenic” for a reason. Located in a tropical rainforest, the scenery is a top tourist draw. Wuzhishan Mountain, or “Five Finger Mountain,” is the highest mountain in the area. Hiking, mountain climbing, and river rafting are popular activities.
If culture rather than the outdoors is more your cup of tea, you’ll find a museum filled with information about the region’s history. There’s also the Li and Mao People’s Village, which welcomes tourists to learn about the native tribes and peoples of Hainan and their customs.
Check-In
What mythical character do you think it would be fun to dress up as?
Courtney Mroch is a globe-trotting restless spirit who’s both possessed by wanderlust and the spirit of adventure, and obsessed with true crime, horror, the paranormal, and weird days. Perhaps it has something to do with her genes? She is related to occult royalty, after all. Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo practitioner of New Orleans, is one of her ancestors. (Yes, really! As explained here.) That could also explain her infatuation with skeletons.
Speaking of mystical, to learn how Courtney channeled her battle with cancer to conjure up this site, check out HJ’s Origin Story.
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It’d be fun to dress up as Rumpelstiltskin so I could nap and get paid for it, haha! I saw a Chinese opera of The Monkey King. I couldn’t understand a word of the songs (and I was studying Chinese), and the Chinese man sitting next to me could only understand half. When their sing-song language with all the tones goes into music, it’s hard to distinguish the tones and thus the words. But it was a beautiful stage production.
OMG!!! You took Chinese, Priscilla?! WOW!!!! Thanks for sharing that and your experience at the Chinese Opera. So interesting even a native speaker had trouble understanding the whole thing.
And BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA about the Rumpelstiltskin pick!!! LOVE your reasoning for it too!!!!