Shenzhen advances smart logistics, boosting cross-border e-commerce

Shenzhen City, a high-tech powerhouse in south China's Guangdong Province, is redefining cross-border e-commerce through AI-powered logistics and smart warehouses, leading global logistics efficiency.

With over 80,000 sellers -- nearly half of China's total, the city is at the heart of the country's global online trade. It is also a launchpad for e-commerce giants and tech firms, and home to the country's most advanced smart logistics systems.

At the warehouse of a local logistics company, a smart parcel sorting and inspection system swiftly weighs, scans and categorizies parcels, boosting logistics efficiency.

"Smart systems have greatly improved our efficiency. Since 2022, we've focused on scaling up, with our company growing 60 percent, and top logistics companies in Guangdong up over 50 percent," said Huang Zhijian, vice general manager of Guangdong Delixun International Logistics Co., Ltd.

Most of Huang's partners are industry giants like Huolala, Shein and Shunfeng, which are major players in the transport and retail sectors. Many of them are based in Shenzhen and play a crucial role in strengthening the city's e-commerce supply chain.

"We've set up warehouses of 10,000 square meters each in Guangzhou, Shenzhen and beyond. Every week, we place over 1,000 Huolala freight orders, collecting more than 8,000 cubic meters of goods," Huang said.

Intelligent logistics platforms such as Huolala have been streamlining the supply chain, with growing research and development investment to keep pace with the industry's rapid evolution.

"Since 2019, algorithms have been fully integrated into our operations. Built on AI, big data, and advanced mapping technologies, the system uses a self-developed optimization algorithm framework to solve core challenges in resource allocation. So our intelligent platform handles the real-time matching of millions of daily orders with hundreds of thousands of drivers, achieving a vehicle-to-cargo match rate of 92 percent," said Wang Gong, director of Huolala's marketing department.

Even in global markets, these homegrown smart logistics systems are delivering results.

"The company launched the U.S. last-mile delivery last July. Smart routing cut delivery time to 1.2 days, with a 99-percent delivery success rate," Wang said.

While freight services form the backbone of Shenzhen's cross-border e-commerce, drone deliveries take it to the next level.

"In Shenzhen, 800 to 1,000 drone flights are made daily to handle some 20,000 parcel orders," said Heng Shilong, drone captain of Phoenix-Wings.

Unmanned vehicles and drones merge ground and low-altitude logistics, enabling two-hour deliveries within Shenzhen and four-hour deliveries to nearby cities.

Thanks to this air-ground-sea logistics network, goods can travel from Shenzhen's Yantian Port to San Francisco on the U.S. West Coast in as little as 11 days.

"Last year, the cross-border trade from those e-commerce platforms already exceeded one trillion rmb (137.56 billion U.S. dollars). The one trillion rmb, actually, will become the economic output in Shenzhen's local economies. So, that is quite important to Shenzhen to further technological improvement in the future," said Wu Haifeng, a research fellow with Chinese University of Hong Kong Shenzhen campus.

Shenzhen advances smart logistics, boosting cross-border e-commerce

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