- Access platform maker repurposes core tech for modular stays
- Units debut in Moganshan resort as firms test asset-light hospitality models
Perched above a bamboo forest in the Moganshan scenic area, an hour and a half from Hangzhou, a cabin slowly rotates to follow the morning light—no foundations, no cables, just a self-contained unit turning quietly over the landscape.
That scene is what Zhejiang Dingli (浙江鼎力) is betting on as this aerial work platform manufacturer pushes into tourism with a new line of modular “space cabin” lodgings, repurposing its industrial lifting technology for a very different kind of elevation.
The product, branded Sky Villa, was unveiled at an event near Moganshan in Deqing and will first be deployed in the local international tourism resort, marking the company’s entry into the hospitality segment.
Drawing on more than two decades in aerial platform manufacturing, Dingli has adapted scissor-lift technologies for the sightseeing cabins.
The units use a DC servo system that enables 360-degree rotation and one-touch reset, designed to keep movement stable while offering panoramic views.
Each cabin comes equipped with basic living facilities including bedding and a washroom, and can be fitted with photovoltaic systems for off-grid power supply.
The design targets remote locations such as mountains and lakes where conventional infrastructure is limited.
Deqing, known for its established homestay market and natural scenery including bamboo forests and tea fields, was selected as the first deployment site.
Dingli, founded in 2005 and headquartered in Deqing, is partnering with a local tourism group to roll out the units, aiming to address constraints such as limited land quotas, long build cycles and restricted viewing angles in conventional projects.
“Deqing’s diverse landscapes provide an ideal testing ground,” a company representative said, adding that future development will focus on combining technology and new use cases to push tourism toward lighter, more flexible formats.
Unlike traditional staycations or recreational vehicles, the cabins are modular and reconfigurable, allowing operators to switch between uses such as lodging, cafés or children’s activity spaces.
They can be installed without excavation, minimizing environmental disruption and shortening construction timelines compared with fixed structures.
The company said the investment payback period per unit is more than 50% shorter than that of traditional wooden cabins. Initial models come in 10-, 12- and 16-meter configurations, with customizable interiors for different use cases.
Listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in March 2015, Dingli shares closed at 55.12 yuan ($8) on April 30, the last trading day before the May Day holiday, down nearly 5%. This gave the company a market value of 27.91 billion yuan.
