Act like savages in the forest, eat raw food: 10,000 people apply for unique job as iconic tourist spot offers $70 daily

The Shennongjia National Nature Reserve in Hubei is hiring people to dress up as “savages” and entertain visitors. It is a popular tourist spot in central China. The job pays 500 yuan ($70) per day, the South China Morning Post reported.

The job includes dressing like a savage, walking through the forest, dancing and interacting with tourists. Only 16 people will be selected to work during July and August, according to the job posting.

Since recruitment started on June 7, around 10,000 people have applied. Shennongjia, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is known for its natural beauty, cool weather and legends about wild men in its forests. As per UNESCO, the site has “outstanding universal value”.

Work hours are 8 AM to 5 PM. These workers have to film their daily tasks and post them on social media. They should also accept and eat food given by tourists.

There’s no age or gender limit, but candidates must be healthy. People who enjoy living in the wild, creating videos and eating raw food will get preference.

“Those with an open personality, who are creative in shooting short videos and accustomed to living in the wild for a long time, will be preferred. Those who like to eat raw food will also be given priority,” SCMP quoted the hiring company as saying.

These employees are not allowed to speak during work. They can only make purring sounds to interact with tourists. Talking is allowed only to guide people to the toilets.

They must not touch wild animals. If they see unknown creatures, they have to run away.

Similar jobs

This is not the first time such job postings have appeared in China. In July 2024, a viral video from Benxi, China, showed people dressed as “savages” entertaining tourists at a scenic spot. According to Global Times, they earned 200 yuan ($27) per day.

In the clip, actors made strange sounds and gestures to make visitors laugh. The job, meant to help people relax, quickly became popular. Nearly 100 people applied for the job after an April 2024 posting. Only four, aged 19–28, were selected.

They reportedly worked from 10 am to 3 pm, lunch included, and earned 5,000 yuan (around $700) monthly.