Playing the Map in Real Life: A Black Myth: Wukong Route Through Changzhi

In Changzhi, the Black Myth: Wukong locations with the clearest documentation are Chongqing Temple and Faxing Temple in Zhangzi county, which the city's transport bureau named as game locations in 2024. Guanyin Hall, inside the city, is widely cited too. With a car you can do all three in one day. Come for the real sculpture, not to match screenshots.

Why did a video game send people to Changzhi?

Black Myth: Wukong came out in August 2024. Its developers scanned real temples and statues across China to build the game's world, and Shanxi supplied more of them than any other province. Within weeks, players were turning up at small county temples that had seen a handful of visitors a day. Changzhi responded quickly. Its transport bureau put up signs and road markings for Zhangzi, and the county started a tourist bus to Chongqing Temple.

Two years on the rush has eased, but the game still brings people, and it is a good excuse to see temples you might otherwise skip.

Which sites are actually linked to the game?

• Chongqing Temple (崇庆寺), Zhangzi — confirmed in official local reports. Its Song arhats and the Ming underworld judges in the Hall of the Ten Kings are the figures players recognise.
• Faxing Temple (法兴寺), Zhangzi — also named in the same reports. The Song bodhisattvas and the Tang stone pagoda are the draw. Details are in Chongqing and Faxing temples.
• Guanyin Hall (观音堂), Changzhi city — very often listed by fans and travel posts. We have not seen it named in an official Changzhi notice, so treat it as a reported link. It is magnificent either way; see the Guanyin Hall guide.

Other Shanxi game sites are in Jincheng, Linfen, Shuozhou and Datong. Yingxian's Wooden Pagoda is one. They are too far apart for one day from Changzhi.

What will you actually see?

Dim rooms, clay figures and wood. The game turns these places into a dramatic, smoky set. In person they are small, quiet and often nearly empty, with a caretaker reading at the gate. The figures are smaller than you might expect and better than you might expect. Look at the hands, the faces and the folds of cloth. Several halls do not allow flash, and some do not allow photography at all. Follow the signs and staff.

One honest warning: these are working religious and heritage sites, not theme parks. Costumes, loud video calls and props in the halls go down badly, and staff will ask you to stop.

How do you do it in a day?

With a hired car from Changzhi:

1. Morning — Faxing Temple. Leave by about 8:30 and drive to Cuizhuang in Zhangzi. Spend an hour or more.
2. Late morning — Chongqing Temple. Continue to Ju village on Ziyun Hill. Arhats, then the underworld hall. About an hour.
3. Lunch in Zhangzi town. Zhangzi fried flatbread (长子炒饼) is the local dish; see the food guide.
4. Afternoon — Guanyin Hall. Drive back to the city's southern edge. Give it an hour and a half.

Checked October 2026 (Asia/Shanghai). Guanyin Hall closed for maintenance in June 2026 and reports suggest it reopened in late September. Call before you go, and check the Zhangzi temples' hours in the linked guides. Official notices win.

Without a car, split it: Guanyin Hall by taxi on one day, Zhangzi by intercity bus and the 802 tourist bus on another.

Is it worth it if you have not played?

Yes, and possibly more so. Chongqing's arhats and Faxing's bodhisattvas are among the best Song sculpture in China, and the game is only the reason they got famous. If you only have a day in Changzhi and do not care about games, you could argue for the Pingshun valley instead. For the whole trip, see the three-day plan.

Cover photo: Xin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)