Game turns tour into lessons in history

The ancient city of Dongjing, the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), continues to resonate with modern-day people. Not only does it remain buried 8 to 10 meters beneath present-day Kaifeng, Henan province, but its influence is also evident in the designs of the city's contemporary tourist attractions.

I began learning about a park featuring an ancient structure from the Northern Song period through a mystery game that was popular on the internet. I decided to figure out why it was so appealing.

The Youguo Temple Pagoda, better known as the "iron pagoda", is now surrounded by a park named after it.

Entering the site, the staff members instructed me to choose my "tribe", be it a mouse, peacock, fox, or magpie. Each tribe had to complete different tasks in the park, and at the end of the day, the number of tasks each tribe completed would be tallied to determine the winner.