Construction on Monkey King scenic spot halted

Construction of a scenic spot named after the legendary Monkey King in a county in North China that claims to be the home of the superhero, almost came to a halt after two years of construction due to the lack of investment and bleak prospects for investment returns.

More than 60 million yuan ($9.4 million) has been invested since 2010 for the spot in Loufan county, Shanxi province, but only the landscaping of a hill and a four-story building are under construction, according to Xinhua News Agency.

Loufan county is believed to be home to the Monkey King, a warrior and superhero in Journey to the West, one of the most famous classical Chinese novels, which was written during the Ming Dynasty (AD 1368-1644). According to the novel, Monkey King journeyed across China with Xuanzang, a famous priest of the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) to India, and helped to bring Buddhist scriptures back from India.

Much more investment is needed so the project can be completed, according to Liang Junjie, director of the tourism bureau of the county.

"Even if the project is completed, we are still worried about the prospects of the business. The scenic spot is only supported by one legend. Besides, there are no famous tourist spots around the area, making it difficult to attract enough tourists," Liang was quoted as saying.

Similar cases also exist in other parts of China.

In Runan county, Central China's Henan province, a tourist project based on tales of a famous romance in ancient China was abandoned months after the start of the project was marked with a glamorous opening ceremony.