Hong Kong
CNN
—
Ye Kunkun spent 398 yuan (about $56) on a special iced Americano at a rural café in southeastern China.
That’s no ordinary price. But this is no ordinary coffee shop.
There, the premium seat is a wooden bench perched a staggering 70 meters (229 feet) above the sea with breathtaking coastal views.
The 30-year-old Ye climbed down from the towering 130-meter (426-foot) cliff – about 43 stories high – along a via ferrata route with metal rungs secured to the rock face, while a coach guided her along the way.
“I was scared at first when I saw the cliff right ahead of me,” Ye recalled days later. “But my fear faded away as soon as the coach went first and led me.”
It took her 30 minutes to reach the spot, where a banner on the cliffside reads “Gushi Cliff Coffee.” The café is named after the town it’s located near – Gushi village in Fuzhou, the capital of southeastern Fujian province.
The village – a once-unknown place featuring clusters of ancient stone houses that shield against coastal winds – has seen bubble tea shops, homestays and camping sites emerge in recent years as the debt-ridden local government pushes for rural tourism.
Once at the spot, Ye’s climbing guide served up the coffee – pre-made brew from a thermos – and snapped photos of Ye perched on the edge of a carpet-covered bench, coffee in hand, legs dangling over the sheer drop.
Gushi Cliff Coffee – which opened on October 1, the first day of China’s “Golden Week” holiday – has sparked a buzz on Chinese social media, as adventurous visitors like Ye share their adrenaline-pumping experiences with heart-pounding visuals online.
“I definitely won’t try even if you paid me,” wrote one Chinese online commenter.
“Not my cup of tea, but respect those who dare – No way I’d ever go up there!” posted another.
Although opinions are mixed online, thrill-seekers keep flocking to this café.
Xue Ke, the café owner, told CNN that they receive about 50 visitors on weekdays and double that on weekends. Climbers need to book a day in advance.
For the $56 package, customers will get insurance, safety gear rental, a drink, a coach to guide them and a “unique filming experience,” according to Xue. The whole experience lasts about 80 minutes.
Having a drink and striking a pose are just the basics of the fun on the cliffside bench.
Posts on China’s Instagram-like Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) show brave and creative visitors celebrating everything from birthday parties to marriage proposals – “Batman” and “Spiderman”(dressed up by the café staff) were invited.
The village café – backed by the local government with a grant of 1.5 million yuan ($210,000) – is expected to boost local tourism and support China’s “rural revitalization” efforts.
Xue backs that up in his Xiaohongshu videos: one records him and his business partner being appointed “county tourism ambassadors” by local officials, on the cliffside plank; another shows a villager setting up a stall outside the café shop during Golden Week.
And there’s another reason that the café is getting attention.
Its coastal views feature the Taiwan Strait, a flashpoint waterway separating China from the self-ruled Taiwan.
“Opposite it was the Matsu Islands in Taiwan, which is so visible to the naked eye that I could even see the streetlights on that island,” said Xue. “This was one of my considerations when choosing the site.”
‘Emotional value’
For Ye, the photo shoot at the cliff café is “her biggest takeaway.”
“He’s great at taking snaps and super patient!” Ye wrote of her coach-photographer on Xiaohongshu, giving him “a five-star rating.”
Lin Jiaxin, another visitor game for “challenging herself,” also praised the coaching and photography service.
With zero experience in outdoor extreme sports, the 28-year-old says she started off with “shaky legs.” But later, she pulled off bold poses even while climbing.
“When the coach encouraged me to let go of my hands and just trust the safety rope, I was pretty terrified at first,” Lin recalled. “But after a few tries, I nailed it – and the photos turned out amazing!”
A viral video posted on Xiaohongshu shows a coach encouraging a climber to “go wilder,” just like Lin and Ye did.
“Come on! Lean back, keep your legs straight – Great! Imagine this is your couch at home – just lie back…That’s it!”
Following the step-by-step instructions, the young man finally managed to lean back high above the cliff face, arms wide open, held up only by his safety harness.
The video’s subtitle reads: “The coach offers all the emotional value.”
Is it worth the price?
While both Ye and Lin were satisfied with the service, they paused when it came to the price tag.
“It was a bit expensive, and the experience was not rich enough,” Ye said. “It actually didn’t take much time to get there (the coffee break spot) … But I had more time for coffee and taking pictures though.”
Lin echoed that, saying: “Overall, this via ferrata experience in Fuzhou is worth it – but I’ll think twice about going again at that price.”
Yet, Xue argued that their service provides “maximized emotional value” and “the mood cannot be bought for 398 yuan.”
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” he added.