Beijing: Imagine standing on a balcony at night, the ground disappearing into a dark abyss below while a pattern of glittering stars stretches endlessly across the sky canvas above. This breathtaking scene is a reality at a cliffside hotel in east China.
According to Namibia Press Agency, a guest surnamed Zhang recently described their stay at the hotel located in the Wangxian Valley Scenic Spot in Jiangxi Province as a thrilling and romantic experience. The area, previously a granite mining quarry, has transformed into a popular tourist destination after a government ban on disorderly mining. The natural cliffs have been creatively repurposed into attractions like cliffside hotels, skywalks, and waterfalls.
The valley has captured significant online attention, with the hashtag “Wangxian Valley” amassing approximately 3.23 billion views on the Chinese short-video sharing platform Douyin. In the first quarter of 2025, Wangxian Valley hosted 615,800 visitors, generating 120 million yuan (about 16.71 million U.S. dollars) in revenue.
This tourism surge has also impacted local villagers positively. Many have opened shops and restaurants within the scenic area, while others have found employment as waiters and cleaners. The transformation of Wangxian Valley highlights Jiangxi’s efforts to capitalize on its mountainous and hilly landscapes, which make up over 70 percent of the province’s land area, by developing “cliff” tourism.
In Huangling Village, a similar transformation has occurred. Homes and terraced fields now form part of the mountainside views. With improved transportation, the area was renovated into a scenic area, and the traditional autumn scene of drying crops on bamboo trays, known as Shaiqiu, has become a tourism trademark. The village’s Huizhou-style cliffside buildings have been converted into homestays, offering a “window-to-scenery” experience.
Additionally, cliff shuttle trains have started operations in the Dajue Mountain Scenic Area, with a third of the 11.8-kilometer route running directly along a cliff. Passengers enjoy a “hanging” experience with views of canyons, dense forests, seas of clouds, and blooming rhododendrons. Since its launch, the train service has welcomed 184,700 passengers, including over 50,000 during the 2025 May Day holiday.
China’s strategic approach to tourism leverages geographical diversity and culture, as evidenced by data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism showing that total domestic tourism expenditure reached 1.8 trillion yuan in the first quarter this year, with 1.79 billion domestic trips made during this period.