The Hanging Fangweng Restaurant Above Yangtze River

The Hanging Fangweng Restaurant Above Yangtze River

Fangweng Restaurant is located in China, in Hubei Province, about 12km north of the city of Yichang, near Sanyou Cave, or “The Cave of the Three Travelers”. The restaurant is in the Happy Valley of the Xiling Gorge, an especially scenic stretch of cliffs, caves and park land located around the area where the Chang Jiang River flows into the Yangtze. The entrance to the Fangweng Restaurant is an uninspiring grey brick building, but at the far end of a narrow concrete bridge, the restaurant caves into the cliff, the floor hanging several hundred feet above the ground. From this end, customers can view the flowing water of Yangtze River. For the daredevils, a bungee jumping platform is nearby.

Walking into the restaurant and down the steps, one will come to a natural “cave lobby”. Rightward, a 30-meter-long plank road has been built along the cliffside. It leads to another natural cave, which has been transformed into a dining hall. Warm lighting from the ceiling lends a golden yellow glow throughout. Dimly lit and Chinese-style furnishings blend in with its surroundings. Part of the dining hall hangs out of the cave, where some dining tables are placed. This is a place sitting high in the air, where the flowing waters can be watched from above.