Tucked into the walls of a 326-meter-deep sinkhole in Hechi city, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, a one-of-a-kind cliffside bookstore has captured global attention — blending dramatic natural surroundings with an unparalleled reading experience.

坐落于广西河池市一处深达326米的天坑崖壁之上，一家独一无二的“悬崖书店”凭借壮丽自然景观与别具一格的阅读体验，吸引了全球目光。

Nestled within the Mianhua Sinkhole Scenic Area in Luocheng Mulam autonomous county, the bookstore opened its doors in May and quickly emerged as a new landmark for culture-tourism integration. To date, it has welcomed over 100,000 visitors from home and abroad.
这家书店位于罗城仫佬族自治县棉花天坑景区内，于今年5月正式开放，并迅速成为文旅融合的新地标。截至目前，已接待海内外游客逾10万人次。

Once just a geological marvel, the 326-meter-deep Mianhua Sinkhole transforms at dusk: lights flicker across cliff-hugging bookshelves, turning the space into a "treasury of wisdom" floating between sky and earth, seemingly whispering with the night stars.
曾经只是地质奇观的棉花天坑，到了傍晚便焕然一新：灯光在贴崖而立的书架间跳动，将整个空间化为“悬于天地之间的知识宝库”，仿佛与夜空星辰低语。

Reaching the bookstore is an adventure in itself. Guests must scale an over 1,000-step plank road carved into the cliff — a thrilling "mini expedition" before arriving at this spiritual retreat amid the heights.
到达书店本身就是一场冒险。游客需沿着嵌入崖壁的千级栈道拾级而上——这段“迷你探险”之后，方能抵达这处高空中的精神栖息地。

He Zhijian, founder of the bookstore, described the bookstore's construction as fraught with challenges.
书店创始人何志坚表示，这一项目的建设困难重重。

"The sinkhole's typical karst terrain features steep, unstable cliffs," he said. "We had to adopt special anchoring technology to ensure safety — this project was like performing acrobatics on a cliff."
他说：“天坑属典型喀斯特地貌，悬崖陡峭且不稳定。为了安全，我们不得不采用特殊的锚固技术——整个工程就像在悬崖上‘走钢丝’。”

Inspiration struck him two years ago during a visit to Japan's Tsutaya Bookstore, later refined with insights from Hangzhou's Tsutaya outlet.
两年前，他在参观日本茑屋书店时受到启发，之后结合杭州茑屋书店的体验进一步构思。

The result is an open-air cliffside space lined with over 10,000 books, forming a 10-meter-high, 150-meter-long "canyon of knowledge".
最终呈现的是一个露天悬崖空间，陈列1万余册图书，构成高10米、长150米的“知识峡谷”。

"A unique feature of this bookstore is: no matter how heavy the wind and rain, it never gets wet," He said. "The sinkhole acts as a natural shelter, shielding the bookstore perfectly from the elements."
何志坚介绍：“这家书店最大的特点之一是：风雨再大也淋不到。天坑本身就是天然庇护所，能将恶劣天气完全挡在外面。”

Wu Taichang, general manager of Guangxi Luocheng Mianhua Tiankeng Tourism Development Co, said the design breaks traditional bookstore boundaries, merging reading with the grandeur of karst landscapes.
广西罗城棉花天坑旅游开发公司总经理吴泰昌表示，这一设计突破了传统书店的界限，将阅读与喀斯特壮观融为一体。

Wu emphasized that the goal is to encourage visitors to do more than just admire the sinkhole's beauty and leave.
吴泰昌强调，他们希望游客不仅是走马观花。

"We want them to immerse themselves in its charm as much as possible," he said. "That's why we've built a cliffside bookstore, cafe, and hotel, along with plank roads leading straight to the sinkhole's bottom — letting tourists get up close to the 'heart of the Earth'."
他说：“我们希望游客尽可能沉浸在天坑的魅力中。这就是为什么我们打造了悬崖书店、咖啡馆和酒店，并修建通往天坑底部的栈道——让游客走近‘地心’。”

The scenic area also boasts a 600-square-meter sinkhole theater that hosts spectacular performances. This year marked the debut of the Sinkhole Music Festival, which drew rave reviews from attendees.
景区内还有面积达600平方米的天坑剧场，定期上演精彩演出。今年首届天坑音乐节亮相，备受观众好评。

Mianhua village, where the bookstore is located, was once isolated by mountains. Its high altitude and severe water scarcity made paddy cultivation impossible. Local villagers survived by growing corn and sweet potatoes to trade for grain.
书店所在的棉花村曾因群山阻隔而交通闭塞，高海拔与严重缺水使稻作种植成为不可能。村民只能种玉米与红薯换取口粮。

Change came in 2017, when Wu's company decided to develop the area.
转机出现在2017年，吴泰昌所在公司决定开发这一地区。

"We thought it a real pity that the county's stunning natural landscapes were hidden deep in the mountains, unknown to the world," Wu said. "That's why we developed the scenic spot that blends nature with culture — aiming to attract more visitors and, in turn, improve local residents' lives through tourism development."
吴说：“我们觉得这么美的自然风景被埋在深山里太可惜了。所以我们打造了这个自然与文化相融合的景区，希望吸引更多游客，从而通过旅游发展改善当地居民的生活。”

Beyond its appeal to travelers, the site has become an engine for growth across seven surrounding villages. It has attracted investments from these communities, with dividend payouts exceeding 4 million yuan ($570,000) to date — bolstering the villages' collective economic income.
除了吸引游客，这一景区也带动了周边七个村庄的发展。这些村集体共同投资，目前分红已超过400万元，大幅提升集体经济收入。

Of the company's 108 employees, over 90 are local residents, allowing villagers to secure stable employment without leaving their hometowns.
在公司108名员工中，90多人是当地村民，使他们无需外出务工便能获得稳定就业。

karst terrain

喀斯特地貌

plank road

栈道

unparalleled reading experience

别具一格的阅读体验

dividend payouts

分红

collective economic income

集体经济收入