'It has nothing to do with feng shui': Chinese star Lin Gengxin reveals 2 most important things for him during travels

For some of us, bringing a personal item that is meaningful to us while travelling overseas can help us get some familiarity in an unfamiliar environment.

In Chinese actor Lin Gengxin's case, he would pack an important item — his pillow.

"For me, a pillow is important to help me sleep better. I am more used to the thickness of my pillow and the hotels didn't have [the thickness that I want]," the 35-year-old shared with AsiaOne while in town recently for the Yuewen Global IP Awards, which was held at the Marina Bay Sands on Jan 27.

However, this time round, he wasn't able to bring it with him to Singapore.

Gengxin explained: "I didn't bring it this time round because my luggage couldn't fit it in anymore… the pillow is quite big, so it would have taken up half of my luggage space."

When asked what he would usually do when he first steps into a hotel room, he mentioned two places he would look at — the bedroom and the toilet.

Gengxin, whose best known works includes playing 14th Prince in Chinese court drama Scarlet Heart (2011) and Yu Wen Yue in Princess Agents (2017), said: "Pillows are definitely something that I have to choose. Usually I would ask for the hotel's available pillow options to try out, but this time round there is only one option, but it's not too bad, I still had quite a good sleep."

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As for the toilet, he laughed: "It has nothing to do with feng shui! I will check whether it has a bidet as I am more used to it."

He also said that because of his work and other reasons, he isn't able to travel to many places, but would still hope to accompany family and friends abroad more in the future.

Gengxin elaborated: "I feel that as a person grows older, they should not leave too many regrets.

"I think it's a good feeling to be able to go to an unfamiliar place or country… I would say hi to everyone!"

'I don't think they like my cooking'

Speaking about his experience with Singapore, Gengxin, who took home the Trendy Actor of Adaptations trophy at the Yuewen Global IP Awards, shared that he had visited once about 11 or 12 years ago.

And when asked about some of the interesting experiences he had so far, Singapore cuisine was the first thing that came to his mind.

"I have always liked the food here because it suits my taste," he said, adding that he arrived in Singapore the previous night and had ordered a variety of local delicacies including bak kut teh, chicken rice and skewers.

As Gengxin would occasionally share videos of himself in the kitchen on Xiaohongshu, he was asked about his best dishes.

He replied he's better at cooking northern Chinese dishes, such as stew and braised dishes, adding he learned how to cook because he wants to eat home-cooked meals instead of takeouts.

"This year, I am planning to return to my parents' home for Chinese New Year and intend to cook for them. But I don't think they like my cooking and still think they cook better," he added with a laugh.

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Collaborating with Zhao Liying again

He also shared that during his leisure time at home, he enjoys watching television programmes and reading novels, and doesn't mind whether they have a happy or tragic ending.

"I feel that a lot of stories don't necessarily need to have a perfect ending, it can also be good even if there are some regrets in the end. But I think most viewers would hope for a happy ending," he added.

One of Gengxin's most highly anticipated dramas is The Legend of ShenLi, which marks his second collaboration with Chinese actress Zhao Liying since Princess Agents (2017). As their characters in that drama did not end up together, viewers are rooting for them to have a happy ending this time.

On working with Liying, 36, again, he shared: "I feel that our chemistry is definitely better than before… Both of us have grown and matured over the years and have a deeper and different understanding of the script. We have good chemistry when we work together.

"I feel that one aspect of growing is that we have both become more steady, whether it's our responsibility towards the characters we play or the responsibility we have towards the whole production team… We know that everyone in the team is working hard and facing their own difficulties.

"Liying is also an executive producer of this drama, so she is one of the people in charge and a role model for the whole production team and actors."

The Legend of ShenLi is tentatively scheduled to be released in 2024 on streaming platform WeTV.

ALSO READ: 'I want to act in a romance drama with you', Kitty Zhang tells Dylan Wang at Yuewen Global IP Awards held in Singapore

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