A county in north China's Shanxi Province is struggling to complete a sightseeing project at a site associated with the Monkey King, the main hero of the Chinese literary classic, Journey to the West.

The project developer has spent more than 60 million yuan (US$9.4 million) creating scenes based on descriptions in the novel, but only managed to complete a four-story tourist reception center and plant trees on some barren hillsides, Xinhua news agency reported yesterday.

Qiang Junkui, an official in charge of the project, said hundreds of millions of yuan are still needed to complete the project. Loufan County Tourism Bureau director Liang Junjie said local government didn't support the project because it believes the tourist resort may not be as lucrative as previously assumed.

"The Monkey King is just a mythical figure and Loufan County and its surrounding areas don't have any scenic spots. It is hard to put Loufan on the tourist map," he said.

Xinhua said Ru'nan County in central Henan Province had also suspended construction of a park dedicated to Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, the Chinese Romeo and Juliet described in ancient folklore.

County officials said the park investor has pulled out of the project, leaving a mess for local authorities to clean up.

In recent years it has become common for rural areas to try every effort to prove their links to celebrities and popular figures, thereby hoping to earn big bucks from the sightseeing projects. However, some projects have been forced to stop due to lack of funds while others failed to garner much attention, Xinhua said.

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