A tiny convenience store in China’s Shiniuzhai National Geological Park is hanging 120 meters above the ground on a steep cliff. The roughly two-square-meter shop gives rock climbers a place to stop for water and snacks during their climb.
The store may be one of the world’s most unusual places to buy a drink. But for climbers taking on the cliff, it provides a useful break during a difficult ascent.
The small shop is built directly onto the side of a near-vertical cliff in Hunan province, China. It has become a recognizable stop for climbers making their way up the rock face.
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Getting there is not as simple as walking into a normal convenience store. Climbers have to follow a route using metal anchors and safety equipment as they make the ascent.
The store was created to serve climbers who spend around 90 minutes making their way up the cliff. Instead of carrying all their drinks for the entire climb, they can stop at the shop and buy water or simple snacks.
Reports say a bottle of water costs around 2 yuan, or roughly 30 US cents. Some earlier reports also said climbers were offered free water after completing the climb, although availability and pricing may vary.
For customers, reaching the store is already an adventure. For employees, it is part of the job.
Staff reportedly carry dozens of bottles and other drinks up the cliff in backpacks before their shifts. They also have to make the same difficult journey back down when work is finished.
There is even a practical problem that sounds almost funny: employees reportedly avoid drinking too much water because the nearest restroom is a long climb away.
The tiny shop measures about 2 square meters, giving it very limited space for products. Water and simple snacks are among the items available to climbers.
Reports indicate that the store generally operates from around 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. However, it has not always been open consistently.
The cliffside shop has been operating for nearly a decade. It was closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and some climbers have since reported reaching the location only to find the store closed or empty.
Staffing has reportedly been one of the challenges. Keeping employees at such a difficult location throughout the year is clearly more complicated than running a regular convenience store.
The shop may look more like a novelty than an essential facility, but it provides a useful service on a demanding climbing route. Access to water can be especially important during a long physical climb.
It has also become part of the experience at Shiniuzhai National Geological Park. For many climbers, reaching the store is itself a small milestone during the ascent.
The unusual location has turned the store into an attraction beyond the climbing community. Images of a tiny shop hanging hundreds of feet above the ground have drawn attention because of its extreme setting.
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While China has built impressive infrastructure to make mountainous areas easier to access, this little store takes a much simpler approach: bring the convenience store to the climber.
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