China's express delivery industry has seen rapid expansion into the country's rural areas with at least a quarter of the 400 million parcels nationwide each day now delivered from and to rural areas.
By Tuesday, the country's express delivery sector has handled 100 billion parcels this year, reaching the same milestone 71 days ahead of last year's pace.
The average monthly delivery volume has exceeded 13 billion parcels, while monthly revenue has surpassed 100 billion yuan (13.9 billion U.S. dollars), both setting new records, according to the data released by the State Postal Bureau on Tuesday.
In Gaobao, a village in southwest China's Guizhou Province, resident Guo Fang has just received her bed ordered online. The furniture was sent from Foshan, a city almost 1,000 kilometers away in Guangdong Province.
"I have always wanted to buy a new bed, so I placed an order online. The delivery was very fast, sent straight to home in three days. They even helped me carry it upstairs and install it. I think it is very convenient. In the past, I had to go to malls to buy furniture, and I might not be able to choose a satisfactory one in one trip. Sometimes it was not so convenient to go there myself. But now I can buy it at home," said Guo.
This convenience was unimaginable in the past when picking up a parcel meant traveling 20 kilometers to the county town. Now, with an improved transportation network and a three-tier logistics system covering counties, towns, and villages, rural residents can easily access a wide range of products.
"The business volume of our town this year has increased 10 to 15 percent year on year. The category with the largest growth is basically large goods heavier than three kilos, especially furnitures and home appliances, which registered a growth of about 20 percent," said Wu Guiru, general manager of an express company's Guizhou branch.
Behind the radical change is the improving infrastructure. Over 1,200 county-level public delivery service centers and more than 300,000 village-level logistics stations have been set up across China, creating a comprehensive rural delivery network.
This network has led to a tenfold increase in rural parcel delivery over the past decade.
Express delivery companies are also investing in smart equipment, significantly reducing delivery times in western regions. At transfer centers, advanced 360-degree barcode recognition technology and automated sorting systems enable delivery to major cities within two days.
"The rural areas have turned from a vast outback without convenient shopping in the past to being convenient to buy anything at present. Express delivery is helping China's villages achieve a leap in consumption pattern," said Wang Yuehan, director of the State Postal Bureau's development and research center.
China's express delivery sector energizes broad rural commodity market
As the Qingming Festival approaches this Friday, various traditional folk activities have been held across China, celebrating the rich cultural heritage of the occasion.
With a 2,500-year history, Qingming Festival, or the Festival of Pure Brightness, observed in early April, uniquely combines ancestral worship with the celebration of spring. Falling on the 15th day after the spring equinox, this ritual-rich observance reflects China's enduring values of ancestral veneration and inspires deep introspection about what gives life meaning.
In Sijia Village, Huayin City, northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, a unique swing festival is held to mark the occasion. Eighteen different types of traditional swings, such as the spinning wheel swing, the Bagua swing reminiscent of a rotating carousel, and the balance swing designed for two people, have attracted many visitors.
Historically, Sijia Village served as a military post guarding the strategic Tongguan pass, a former mountain pass and fortress located south of the confluence of the Wei and Yellow Rivers. The swing tradition in the village has its origins in military training exercises like climbing and river crossing. The local swing culture further developed as regional trade flourished, eventually evolving into the "swing festival" that continues today.
"It's very exciting and tests your skill, endurance, and most importantly, your arm strength. You need to maintain balance," said Qu Xiangyang, a visitor.
In Rudong County, Nantong City, east China's Jiangsu Province, another traditional Qingming activity takes place - kite flying.
Flying kites as a way of making wishes is an age-old Qingming custom in this region. As a result, the Qingming Festival in Nantong is also known as the "Kite Festival."
The local Banyao whistling kite making skills is listed as one of the first national intangible cultural heritage items.
According to a folk culture expert, people traditionally write the names of diseases or misfortunes on paper, attach it to a kite, and release it into the sky. This practice is believed to drive away illness and disaster, while also serving as a way to make wishes.
In south China's Guangdong Province, a large tug-of-war competition is underway in Maoming City. Teams from different towns and streets are competing, attracting many locals to cheer on their teams.
Tug-of-war, which originated during the late Spring and Autumn period (770 BC - 476 BC), became part of Qingming customs during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty once organized large-scale tug-of-war competitions for the festival.
"Tug-of-war became very popular in the Tang Dynasty, even emerging as the national sport. It originated in the Jingchu region and later spread across the country. In ancient Lingnan (Southern China), tug-of-war games were a common tradition. Through these events, people seek to pray for peace, prosperity, and abundant harvests," said Yao Guojun, vice dean of the College of Arts and Law, Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology.
Traditional folk activities held for Qingming Festival
