This inconvenient convenience store hangs by the side of a mountain in China and you’ll need to claim 120 meters to get to it.

Convenient stores are meant to be… convenient, hence the name. Stocked with basics like water, snacks, and even medicine in some cases, they’re perfect for emergency pitstops and late-night store runs.

This convenience store, however, is built differently. In fact, you could call it an inconvenient convenience store.

Located high up in the mountains—particularly up the side of a cliff—this inconvenient convenience store can be found in the Shiniuzhai National Geological Park in Hunan province, China. And yes, it requires a 120-meter climb to get to this small, wooden box.

But while most would avoid it like a plague, it actually is a welcoming respite for climbers, as this shop provides refreshments for those who need a quick break.

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Inconvenient Convenience Store

Dubbed the world’s “most inconvenient” convenience store, photos of the store went viral in China. In fact, the hashtag “most inconvenient convenience store” peaked at almost 50 million views on China’s Twitter-like platform Weibo, as many users wondered about the workers who operate the tiny store. “The workers must be very fit if they have to climb up and down to their ‘office’ every day,” a Weibo user commented in Chinese.

While most would think that the prices of said convenience stores would be expensive—given the location and logistics to get there—surprisingly, that’s not the case. According to the Chinese state media outlet CCTV, the store stocks up on drinks and snacks, including potato chips, and prices remain affordable with bottled water capped at 2 yuan (around PHP 15).

“The store doesn’t make much money, but the tourists are very grateful for it, so we all feel like our jobs are very meaningful,” a worker shares.

A Steep Learning Curve

Given how small the store is, only one worker is stationed in the box at any given time. What’s more, it’s their job to also replenish the store’s supplies every morning, before dawn.

Like all jobs, this comes with a learning curve—and a steep one, at that. “Every new employee is quite scared of doing this at first, but you get used to it very quickly,” the worker explains. “The only issue is having to use the toilet. It’s exhausting to have to climb back down and up again to use the toilet, so we try not to drink too much water.”

A popular tourist spot in China, the Shiniuzhai National Geological Park is known for its steep cliffs, waterfalls, and climbing trails. According to CCTV, the convenience store opened in 2018 but remains closed due to China’s COVID-19 outbreak.

Photos from Weibo

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