A glimpse of new scenic spots made famous by popular fiction

After Mo Yan won the Nobel Prize for Literature, his former residence turned into a hot scenic spot overnight, and even brought trouble to Mo’s family members. [File photo]

Mo Yan's former residence in Shandong province

Since 2009, the former residence of famous Chinese writer Mo Yan has been developed into a scenic spot by the government of Gaomi city in Shandong province. But for a long time, there were few visitors.

In 2012, Mo became the first Chinese winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature. His former residence became a scenic hot spot overnight. Hundreds of visitors have come to the residence since October 2012 when it was announced Mo won the world's top prize for literature, according to Mao Weijie, head of the Museum of Mo Yan's Literature Works.

"Some of them are literary amateurs, some are officials, some are students. In addition, so many journalists at home and abroad swarmed into the residence for interviews. We were totally overwhelmed," he said.

Guan Moxin, Mo's elder brother, once complained that too many visitors in the residence damaged it and troubled them.

"Some parents pulled up radishes in the garden for their kids. They told me that if their kids ate the radish, they might get the Nobel Prize in the future like my brother. Finally, all the vegetables in the garden were taken away. Some people were even crazier. They took soil in plastic bags for their kids, and said if they drank the water with the soil, knowledge and literary talent would be in their stomachs. Some visitors just wanted to get something as a souvenir from our former residence, so they took away anything they could get, like stones in the wall or tiles on the roof," he said angrily.

According to reports by Chinese media in 2014, the Gaomi government planned to spend 1.67 billion yuan ($261 million) to set up a rural cultural experience area near Mo's former residence. The scenes in Mo's masterpieces will be turned into reality in the future. Meanwhile, a site for a new Museum of Mo Yan’s Literature Works is being selected and money raised as well.