Convenience stores were created to offer people a more accessible way to purchase products. That design model was completely thrown out the window with China’s “most inconvenient convenience store,” which is located perched on the side of a cliff.
The tiny wooden shed that is home to the “most inconvenient convenience store” in China is located in the Shiniuzhai Scenic Area in the Chinese province of Hunan. Hanging at 394 feet above the ground, the 21.5-square-foot shop replenishes thirsty climbers with drinks and other light refreshments.
Shiniuzhai is known for its hilly landscape, which offers scenic views and a number of different mountain-based activities. The convenience store is located on a via ferrata route, a pathway along a mountain that uses metal anchors climbers can fasten themselves to as they make their way up and across the challenging landscapes.
The journey to the top takes around 90 minutes to complete and each climber can get a bottle of water for free at the store, Song Huizhou, general manager of Shiniuzhai, said. Staff members are also responsible for carrying the necessary supplies to the store every day.
An unnamed employee said that staff carry dozens of bottles of beverages up the hill in their backpack every day, each sold for less than $1. Free mooncakes have also been handed out in tiny red boxes to climbers when the country celebrated the Mid-Autumn festival in October 2023.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/travel/shiniuzhai-hunan-china-cliffside-convenience-store-intl-hnk/index.html