ChongqingChongqing’s Monster Tribe is a community designed like a game for personal growth by encouraging exercise, reading, and meditation. Its gamified approach teaches users scientific self-management skills, strengthens focus and willpower, and improves physical and mental health to better cope with life’s challenges.
Hu Zhongkai, also known as Kan Erye, CEO and founder of Monster Tribe, is a former young man who turned down a full scholarship to Stanford University to pursue entrepreneurship.
Hu Zhongkai, also known as Kan Erye, is the CEO and founder of Monster Tribe. (Photo/Hu Zhongkai)
After enrolling at Stanford University, Kang Arie realized that civil engineering was not her true passion. At a time of uncertainty when entrepreneurship was gaining momentum, he and several colleagues chose to enter the burgeoning internet sector in Hangzhou, home of China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba.
“At that time, I was filled with passion and felt that I could change the world,” Kang Ae-ri recalls. However, his journey as an entrepreneur was not easy. After his first adventure failed, he spent a considerable amount of time gaming to escape reality.
Seeing his distress, a friend suggested he visit a meditation master in India to help him reflect on himself. He was determined to travel to India, where he practiced meditation, sometimes sitting in the mountains for up to 10 hours a day.
This profound experience helped me understand that the true essence of life lies not in outer success, but in inner exploration and growth.
Monster tribe meditation event. (Photo/Monster Tribe)
“The roll of the dice was in favor of staying in Chongqing.”
After returning to Chongqing in 2017, Kan Erye established her own community. “My intention at the time to bring everyone together was very simple, just to improve my own mental state,” he said.
Initially, Kan Erye contacted several students near Chongqing University and shared the concept of participating in group activities such as reading, exercising, and meditation together.
By starting these activities, the number of participants increased. He was pleasantly surprised to discover that these community events were generating more revenue than the gaming company he was considering joining.
“In fact, when I had to decide between continuing to organize community activities and joining a gaming company, I found myself in deep contemplation,” says Kan Erye.
But if we recall the teachings of the Indian masters, life is not like a math problem with a clear answer. Instead, it’s important to adapt to change and find the best solution.
Therefore, he made the decision based on the roll of the dice. “The roll of the dice was in favor of staying in Chongqing,” Kang Arie recalled. HI committed myself to developing my community work, adopted a more open-minded approach, and decided to stay and start anew.
The Sky Yoga event was held at the Chongqing Liberation Monument helipad. (Photo/Monster Tribe)
Multidisciplinary talent platform that goes beyond community roots
Kan Erye said that “exercise, reading, and meditation” form the basic philosophy of the Monster Tribe. Because they improve the physical and mental quality of humans overall. From his own experience, he believes that these three of his activities contribute to personal enrichment.
Monster Tribe was officially established in May 2020. He said the first three years after founding Monster Tribe were the most precious years of his life.
“During that time, I spent a lot of time reading, reading about 600 to 700 books, while also organizing weekend activities,” he said. “Psychology and neuroscience, in particular, have always interested me as fields that help us understand human behavioral patterns, techniques for managing emotions, and ways to promote self-growth.”
When the power suddenly went out during a reading event, everyone used their cell phone flashlights to continue reading. (Photo/Monster Tribe)
From 2023 to 2024, the ever-growing Monster Tribe underwent major changes, moving from a single community to a community platform that welcomes other groups to join. Today, Monster Tribe functions not only as a community but also as a platform that brings together talents from different fields.
“Exercise, reading, and meditation are the pillars of physical and mental health at Monster Tribe,” concludes Kan Erye with heartfelt conviction. “Through gamification, we strive to encourage our members to explore, discover and evolve to reach their full potential.”
