Nestled in the Moganshan mountains, about 80km from Hangzhou, lies a unique café called The Seeker. Built within a natural limestone cave, it offers visitors an escape from the noise of the city.
The moment one steps inside, the cave’s cool air greets like a gentle embrace, calming anxious hearts. Soft-toned LED lights reflect off the stone walls, casting soothing shadows, while slow droplets of water fall like a rhythm teaching the essence of peace.
The café was designed without disturbing the natural landscape, preserving the limestone formations of high geological value. To enhance the experience, a man-made waterfall and viewing deck have also been added, allowing visitors to immerse themselves fully in the tranquillity.
With a cup of coffee in hand, most visitors simply sit in silence, letting themselves sink into the peaceful atmosphere.
For Gultina Rizagul, 32, a visitor from Beijing, the cave offered perfect relief from the scorching summer heat. “It’s so hot outside, but here I feel comfortable and refreshed. Enjoying coffee while taking in the view is an amazing experience,” she told Bernama.
The Seeker’s presence beyond the main city is not only the result of local entrepreneurs’ creativity but also part of a broader initiative by the Chinese government to promote health and wellness tourism.
Since 2016, the China National Tourism Administration has introduced the National Health and Wellness Tourism Demonstration Base standards, highlighting harmony between humans and nature through destinations such as forest therapy trails, natural hot springs, and healing caves like The Seeker.
The initiative aims not only to strengthen public mental health but also to boost rural economies. With measures such as subsidies, infrastructure upgrades, and entrepreneurship support, more than 10 million rural residents have been lifted out of poverty through the growth of nature-based tourism.
In Moganshan, the effort has created new jobs for baristas, tour guides, and homestay operators, raising local incomes. As a result, many people are returning to their hometowns, leaving behind city life, convinced that tranquillity itself holds economic value.
For Chen Lijun, 36, the booming tourism sector inspired her to return home after more than a decade in bustling Shanghai. “Back then, these mountains were just dense forests. But since commercialisation, they’ve become a source of livelihood for locals,” she said.
“For me, this is an opportunity to contribute to my hometown while enjoying lower living costs compared to Shanghai.”
The experience at The Seeker reminds us that healing is not found only in the waves and sea breeze, but also in stillness, simplicity, and the lush greenery that restores lost energy.