Across China: Novel coffee experiences brew new, elevated tourism trends in SW China

A coach performs via ferrata climb at a cliff café in Libo County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, July 11, 2024. (Xinhua/Wu Si)

GUIYANG, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Suspended on a cliff face over 200 meters high, a café in the dense forests of Libo County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, serves premium coffee with a dash of vertigo, but only for those brave enough to make the climb.

With the forest canopy far below and the metallic clink of carabiners on steel cables ringing in her ears, a coffee enthusiast surnamed Li, from the provincial capital city Guiyang, finally reached the café's wooden platform after a grueling 30-minute via ferrata climb.

Sitting with her feet dangling over the edge, she took a sip of her coffee and gazed out at the endless sea of green karst peaks. "I never imagined I'd be sipping coffee in a place like this," said Li, who made a special trip just for this experience.

The cliff-side café is the brainchild of Ren Peng, an outdoor sports enthusiast who previously worked in traditional tourism. He launched the project after realizing that travelers today are no longer satisfied with passive sightseeing, but instead crave novel, immersive adventures.

"People usually associate coffee with sitting quietly in a cozy room. We wanted to offer something unconventional and turn it into an adventure," Ren explained. The café was designed and built to blend seamlessly into the cliff's natural terrain, ensuring safety while allowing tourists to immerse themselves in nature.

Since opening in 2019, the café has evolved from a niche spot for a few climbers to a viral sensation. With upgraded amenities, it can now seat 25 people at a time and serves up to 150 guests daily. During the National Day holiday in 2025, visitor numbers surged 40 percent year on year to more than 800.

This cliff-side café is just one example of the "Coffee Plus" trend sweeping across the mountainous province of Guizhou, where local entrepreneurs are turning the province's dramatic landscapes into unique consumption scenarios. Fueling this trend is China's ever-growing coffee consumption, which has expanded at an average annual rate of more than 15 percent since 2010.

Last year, Guizhou native Peng Wei returned to his hometown of Guiyang after working in southern China, eager to tap into the booming local tourism sector and coffee scene. He partnered with others to launch Xiu Café, a coffeehouse built inside a natural karst cave in Guiyang's Xiuwen County.

Located a 45-minute drive away from downtown Guiyang, the cave-themed café has become a magnet for city-dwellers seeking a weekend escape. Inside, warm lights illuminate stalactites, turning these geological formations into a surreal art gallery where the scent of coffee mingles with cool cave air.

"The cave itself is stunning. We simply added candlelight and lamps, being careful not to disturb the original formations," Peng said.

Besides specialty brews, the venue offers paddleboarding and hiking tours in the cave. From its opening last August to the end of 2025, it generated over 1 million yuan (about 143,740 U.S. dollars) in sales.

This trend of integrating coffee into unique settings has even extended to China's mega-infrastructure projects.

Last month, a new café opened under the deck of the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge, the world's tallest bridge that soars 625 meters above the Beipan River in Guizhou.

Accessible via a sightseeing elevator that ascends hundreds of meters in just one minute, the café offers a signature latte featuring latte art of the bridge's two main towers and its iconic steel truss girder suspension structure.

Visitors can enjoy their coffee while taking in breathtaking panoramic views of the Huajiang Grand Canyon below.

With the "Coffee Plus" model taking root, Guizhou is proving that its rugged terrain is not just for sightseeing, but also for savoring. One cup at a time, this province is transforming its natural wonders into unforgettable experiences. ■

This photo taken on Nov. 23, 2025 shows an interior view of Xiu Café, a coffeehouse built inside a natural karst cave in Xiuwen County, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Wu Si)