Yun Jin, the new support character in Genshin Impact 2.4 patch update, was introduced as the landlady of an opera house – the position that made her quite adept at singing and acting. While Yun Jin received a lot of praise in general, not everyone, it seems, approves of the choice of voice performance for this character. Many Genshin Impact fans criticize Yun Jin for having a squeaky voice, extravagant outfits and makeup, and too much pausing in movements – all the aspects, which are in a certain way characteristic of Chinese culture and the Peking opera tradition, in particular.

Despite having stirred so much controversy among the Genshin community, the introduction of Yun Jin and her vocal performance has somehow managed to shift the public image of traditional Chinese opera and make players want to learn more about the experience. One thing has become clear: apart from their entertainment potential, video games can be influential ambassadors for art and facilitators of valuable cultural exchange.

Although it is more common for games to ride on the coattails of what is already trending, the developers of Genshin Impact dared to try to popularize something that even the official government of this country has been struggling to promote domestically. The fact that the game creators ventured upon exposing something as personal and – let’s face it – non-mainstream as their love for Chinese opera to the whole world in an effort to spark interest in this art form says a lot about their talents.

Did you enjoy Yun Jin’s singing and looks? How truthful and accurate do you think this Genshin character is in terms of cultural appreciation? Did Yun Jin inspire you to research the various aspects of traditional Chinese culture? Speak up in the comments and share the post with friends!