The rapidly developing e-commerce and logistics networks in China have been boosting the country's rural farming, encouraging aspiring young entrepreneurs from rural areas to return to their hometowns and contribute to efforts to rejuvenate the countryside.
Wang Jianwen previously worked as a programmer in Beijing, but a few years ago he returned to his hometown of Shouguang in east China's Shandong Province, setting up a direct-to-consumer sales model that integrates vegetable production and e-commerce. The project has radically improved market efficiency and significantly increased incomes for local farmers.
"Since I was a child, Shouguang has been famous for vegetables. In the past, there were very few purchasing channels. The farmers were badly affected by price fluctuations. Since delivery became faster now, we built up a brand for fresh produce called Sweet Fresh, which sells our Shouguang vegetables directly online," Wang said.
"It takes a lot of time on marketing if your want to develop a new product in the traditional way. People always make a beautiful picture of the product, but it might look nothing like that after it's been shipped. In 2018, we began doing live-streaming on Taobao. Through the live-streams, consumers are able to see the vegetables directly, which resolves the problem of lack of trust," Wang said.
Compared with the fast-paced life in big cities, Wang is pleased with his life in such a small county, where he can spend much more time with families, and build up the county better.
"Coming back to Shouguang, firstly, I'm returning to my roots. I have more time with my family. Secondly, through my business, I can bring out the value of my hometown, while also realizing my own value," he said.
Wang said when he first started his business, his family wasn't very supportive.
"I only slept for three hours a night. My family said the new business was worse than farming. They thought at least I could still rest while farming, but there was no rest when I started my business. As the volume of business increased, there were a lot of orders to ship out. My family also stopped farming and helped me with packing. They noticed that although I was tired, I remained confident. After that, the family gradually came to understand. For me, big cities are nice, but the competition is strong. Now the country is working on rural revitalization, and our small county is getting better and better," Wang said.
E-commerce boosts rural farming in China
China saw a remarkable 25 percent surge in its cross-border express delivery volume in 2024, encompassing international services and deliveries to Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan regions, as the country continued to expand its diverse cross-border logistics capabilities and international transportation capacity, according to data released by the State Post Bureau on Wednesday.
At the Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport in east China's Zhejiang Province, YTO Express, one of China's leading express firms, is poised to transport a cargo full of garment accessories and textiles to the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka. The journey is expected to take just five hours aboard the company's cargo plane.
"In 2024, we have successfully operated over 20 domestic routes, extending our services to the Middle East and parts of Europe for the first time. Our flight networks now span across all of Asia and parts of Europe," said Li Yabin, manager of YTO Airlines' planning department.
Recent developments include the launch of a new all-cargo "Ezhou-Paris" route at Ezhou Huahu Airport in the city of Ezhou, central China's Hubei Province.
Operating initially with one weekly flight, the route is expected to generate over 30,000 tons of annual international cargo throughput for the airport, with plans to increase to five flights per week to primarily carry cross-border e-commerce goods.
Alongside the expansion of air routes, China has also accelerated the construction of international postal and courier transshipment centers, overseas ground networks, and overseas warehouses.
Several international distribution hubs, such as Liege in Belgium, have been put into operation, with the postal and courier industry now boasting a total of 297 overseas distribution centers and 333 overseas warehouses.
The data shows that in 2024, China has also opened 16 China-Europe freight train postal routes and 25 sea freight mail routes, establishing self-owned or affiliated service networks in 71 countries and regions.
"We will continue to strengthen the construction of international delivery networks, encouraging postal companies to invest in the development of specialized cargo hubs, comprehensive airports, and large-scale sorting centers for overseas parcels. Our goal is to further optimize the layout of international mail exchange points, enhance overseas warehouse construction, and expand the 'last mile' network abroad. We will also support express companies in collaborating with cross-border e-commerce and manufacturing enterprises to provide integrated logistics solutions," said Hou Yanbo, spokesman for the State Post Bureau.
China's cross-border express delivery volume surges by 25 pct in 2024
