Yongjia’s Logistics Innovation: Bringing Daily Delivery to Mountain Villages

With its rolling mountains and scattered villages, Yongjia County in Wenzhou is a typical mountainous region in Zhejiang Province, where mountainous areas account for 80% of the total county area. Although Wenzhou had largely achieved road paving to all administrative villages by the end of 2004 and reached 100% bus coverage for all established villages by 2023, addressing the issue of difficult travel, the reality of high mountains, long distances, and dispersed populations continued to keep logistics costs high. This remained a significant barrier to development in these remote mountain villages— the so-called"last mile" challenge.

Today, however, on the winding mountain roads, urban-rural passenger buses marked with“Passenger-Freight-Postal Service”logos are delivering parcels to these remote communities. This ordinary scene marks a historic leap in rural logistics: what used to be a week-long wait for deliveries has now been reduced to same-day or even six-hour service.

New energy unmanned delivery vehicle. Photograph provided by the Yongjia Publicity Department

Faced with the challenges of scattered villages and high logistics costs, Yongjia has creatively repurposed its existing rural bus network. A total of 127 routes now serve as logistics arteries, with 145 specially designated vehicles transporting both passengers and goods. These buses follow fixed schedules and routes, delivering packages daily to 187 administrative villages across eight mountainous townships— carrying around 3,000 parcels every day.

Digital technology has further strengthened this emerging logistics system. The“Nongke Da" app enables real-time tracking of people, vehicles, and goods throughout the delivery process. In April, autonomous electric delivery vehicles were introduced in Yantou Town, capable of carrying up to 900 parcels per trip while safely navigating local streets. This innovation has increased delivery frequency to twice a day in some areas.

To ensure convenience for all, smart parcel lockers have been installed at village service stations. Available 24 hours a day, they allow villagers to retrieve packages at any time— even during busy farming seasons.

This seamless integration of transport and technology has transformed everyday life in the mountains. It supports over 30,000 villagers engaged in home-based handicraft processing by reducing logistics costs by nearly 30%, while also enabling smoother circulation of agricultural products and consumer goods.

From green buses climbing the hills to intelligent lockers at the village entrance, Yongjia has woven a modern logistics network deep into rural terrain— turning the dream of“daily delivery" into a lived reality for mountain communities.(Liu Minmin)