This tiny store perched 120 meters (394 feet) above the ground on a vertical cliff face has deservedly earned the name of being the world's most inconvenient convenience store. While it serves as a good spot for climbers to grab a drink, please spare a thought for the employees who have to do this climb just to get to work.
The honestly quite adorable commercial "tiny house", which measures two square meters (around 22 square feet), may have you wondering just what the point of it is. But it actually serves a very important service for rock climbers who scale this steep cliff in the Shiniuzhai National Geological Park, in China's Hunan province.
The path to the store is via metal anchors that climbers can fasten themselves to as they ascend, and the store has become somewhat of a milestone in the arduous climb.
Once there, climbers can buy drinks for around the same price as they'd get on the ground – a bottle of H20 is reportedly around 2 yuan (or 30 cents in US currency). However, 2023 reports said climbers would get free water once they completed the roughly 90-minute climb, but I won't be making the journey to verify this. If you plan to make the trip, it won't hurt to carry a few dollars with you.
Unlike basically everywhere else in China, the store appears to expect cash from climbers. And I haven't been able to confirm if WeChat or Alipay are also on offer.
Interestingly, while staff members carry the beverages up the cliff each day for climbers, they're said to be careful about not drinking too much themselves – because it's a long climb back down to the nearest restroom.
The store is nearly 10 years old now, however it was shut down during the pandemic and some climbers have reported getting there to find it empty. Several reports have cited climbing to the store only to find it closed, and apparent staffing difficulties have made it challenging to operate every day of the year. And, to be honest, we're not at all surprised.
We'd love to see the job description when the store's owner is hiring, however. Because staff carry are charged with carrying dozens of bottles of beverages up the cliff in a backpack before their shift starts.
Oddly enough, this is actually one of the least scary activities in Shiniuzhai's mountainous area. But even so, I prefer China's Family Marts and 7-Elevens that don't require wearing a harness. The stores you'll find on the ground are more likely to have restrooms, too.
If you happen to be in the neighborhood, when the shop is open, it's staffed from 8 AM to 5 PM, and you can also grab some simple snacks as well as water.
Nonetheless, for a nation that's made history building easy ways to get up and down mountains, this store feels almost old-fashioned.
While it remains an important part of a rock climber's day in the national park, I won't be stopping by anytime soon – or ever. But I do hope those employees have a wage that reflects the effort.
Source: China Daily
