When a 182-metre glass elevator began rising from the iconic cliffs of Kelingking Beach on Nusa Penida, Bali, outrage erupted online – and in a twist of irony, overexposure on social media is what led to this problem in the first place.
Authorities in Bali have ordered a halt to the construction of a cliff-side glass lift on one of Indonesia’s most photographed lookouts. The 182-metre (597 ft) elevator, along with a 64-metre (210 ft) bridge, was being installed on the T-Rex-shaped ridge of Kelingking Beach. The development, by Chinese developer China Kaishi Group and local partner PT Bangun Nusa Properti, was purportedly intended to ease visitor access down to the beach (no doubt for a handsome fee).
But once images of the towering scaffolding and a concrete shaft slicing through the sheer cliff emerged, the photos went viral – sparking furious backlash from locals and tourists alike. One resident, Made Sediana, told a local paper: “It’s a shame that the beautiful view of Kelingking Beach has been destroyed by the lift project. Tourists come to Nusa Penida to enjoy the beautiful panorama, not the lifts.”
Other commenters on social media were equally blunt. Among them: “This just makes it even worse, bringing high-rise ideas into the one place people came to escape them.”
Critics say the structure threatens both the aesthetic appeal and environmental integrity of the site – not least by being built in an area designated for disaster mitigation, where major construction is prohibited under local spatial-planning laws. The local assembly found that permit violations and coastal setback breaches had occurred.
SOCIAL MEDIA GIVETH, SOCIAL MEDIA TAKETH AWAY
What adds a layer of irony is that the very popularity of Kelingking Beach — fuelled by innumerable social media posts of the sweeping clifftop views, the turquoise waters, and the once-untouched white sands — is what turned the site from a remote spot that virtually nobody knew about into a globally famed Instagram backdrop.
When I first visited Bali in 2003, I stayed in Nusa Dua and, looking east, could easily see Nusa Penida (along with two other smaller islets in the group) rising from the sea about 20 km off the coast. No tourists were really going there then, and even a decade ago, only a handful of visitors were making the journey. Yes, there was tourism, but not in significant numbers. Then came the iconic shot from the cliff edge, shared thousands of times on Instagram, prompting veritable hordes to travel to this small island solely to replicate the photo.
Now, ironically enough, social media users are among the loudest voices objecting to the elevator. In short: the digital photo trail that helped the site explode into popularity is now largely responsible for the widely-hated infrastructure cropping up there.
As one user on Reddit argued, it’s tourists’ own fault, writing: “Did anyone expect anything different after 1000000+ bloggers and Instagrammers advertised it??”
Another Reddit user agreed, remarking, “Even as a typical Australian tourist, I won’t bother returning if it’s commercialized with an elevator.”
Island senator Niluh Djelantik has been vocal in opposition. “Long before this lift was built, we had already voiced our opposition. The risks are too great,” she wrote in a Facebook post. “Enjoy Bali’s beauty wisely; don’t create access that seems to be leading tourists to the gates of disaster.”
It remains unclear how long the suspension will last, or whether the project will be permanently cancelled. Local officials say the construction site is sealed off pending full review of its legality and safety.
Sources: BBC, South China Morning Post, Channel NewsAsia, News.com.au, Business Today, NDTV.
