As 2016 began, with the traditional Lunar Year of the Monkey still some time away, the news that “Mount Emei Scenic Area offers free admission to all Chinese people born in the Year of the Monkey worldwide” quickly went viral on Weibo and WeChat, drawing massive attention from both media and netizens:
Those born in the Year of the Monkey exclaimed, “No way — Mount Emei is really offering free entry to people born in the Year of the Monkey? This is true!!”
Netizens even joked, calling it “the first viral moment of the Year of the Monkey — free entry to Mount Emei,” hailing it as the first major event of 2016 that made the festive spirit of the Chinese Year of the Monkey even more intense, spreading across the internet.
Netizens of other zodiac signs also joined in the fun: those born in the Year of the Horse claimed they had turned into the White Dragon Horse; those born in the Year of the Pig said they had become Zhu Bajie (the second disciple); those born in the Year of the Ox called themselves good brothers; those born in the Year of the Rabbit wanted to bask in Chang’e’s glory — all asking for the “friends and family rate.”
Major authoritative media outlets such as the official Weibo account of People's Daily also published posts urging people to “share this with your monkey-year friends!”
Yes, the first viral moment of the Year of the Monkey — free entry to Mount Emei. Monkeys, see you at Mount Emei in 2016.