Bizarre Chinese national park ad for ‘wild man' job draws thousands of applicants
A bizarre job listing in central China looking for 'wild men' to roam the Shennongjia National Park has gone viral, attracting over 10,000 applications.
The job listing offers 500 yuan ($69.60) per day to act as non-player characters (NPCs) – essentially live-action performers – to roam in the park mimicking the famous legend of wild men of the region.
The organisers are using fan groups on short-video platforms such as Douyin or Xiaohongshu to find people interested in applying for the job, according to China Daily.
So far, they have created more than 20 such fan groups, and each group has 500 members, which adds up to around 10,000 people who have expressed interest or joined the recruitment effort.
However only 16 individuals will actually be selected for the job.
Located in Hubei province, the Shennongjia Forestry District is known for its lush, mountainous terrain and folklore surrounding a mysterious creature said to roam the forests. Described as about two metres tall (6.5ft), covered in reddish-brown hair, and making haunting "woo woo" calls, these so-called wild men are a long-standing part of Chinese mythology, often likened to Bigfoot or the Yeti.
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The job posting called for performers to dress in costume, patrol tourist areas, and occasionally perform abstract dances, all while refraining from speaking human language. They are required to only make "woo woo woo" sounds.
Open to all ages and genders, the only requirements to secure the job are a healthy body and a willingness to live in the wild. Candidates should be comfortable being fed by tourists, preferably able to eat raw food, and ideally enjoy isolation or the chance to "act out their real nature".
While the employer provides accident insurance, the selected participants must bring their own tents, arrange meals, and be ready to 'run if confronted by unknown creatures', the listing says.
The listing has taken Chinese social media by storm with a user on Weibo joking that, 'Who can refuse a job where you get to go mad and earn money?'
Another user on Xiaohongshu, a Chinese social networking and e-commerce platform, said: 'I'd pay 500 yuan just to play the wild man!'
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