As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches on October 4th, the streets are filled with a warm atmosphere of reunion. In Wuhan, a city full of life, JD.com courier Shi Zhaolu, as usual, hurriedly shuttles through the streets, busy delivering heartfelt gifts that have traveled thousands of miles.
“Hello, is anyone home? Your pre-ordered hairy crabs have arrived.” Around 5 PM, in the Vanke City residential area of Jianghan District, Shi Zhaolu arrived at the building of a regular customer and called them. The customer’s voice on the phone sounded puzzled: “I didn’t order hairy crabs.” Shi Zhaolu reminded: “Perhaps a family member or relative placed the order.” A few minutes later, the customer called back, their tone full of surprise: “It was my sister in Beijing who placed the order—she remembered to send me a holiday gift!”
After completing this delivery, Shi Zhaolu carefully arranged the remaining packages on his vehicle, including mooncakes and hairy crabs, carefully examining the delivery information. He remarked with emotion: “Such heartwarming surprises have become quite common recently. During holidays, cross-regional orders increase significantly, accounting for about 30% of all deliveries. In the past, if people wanted to send gifts to relatives in other cities, especially perishable items like live seafood, they had to prepare well in advance. From selecting suitable products to careful packaging, every step required meticulous attention. There was also concern about potential issues during transportation, worrying that items might spoil or deteriorate, arriving less than fresh. Now, orders placed by 9 AM can be delivered by 5 PM the same day—both convenient and reassuring.”
This year, with the Mid-Autumn Festival coinciding with the National Day holiday, the dual celebration has led to a substantial increase in residents visiting relatives and friends and exchanging gifts, resulting in continuous growth in delivery volumes. Taking JD Express as an example, in Hubei region, shipments of food, mooncakes, gifts, tea, alcohol, hairy crabs, and other local specialties have maintained high year-on-year growth, currently ranking among the top categories in shipment volume. Many of these packages, filled with heartfelt sentiments, need to travel thousands of miles to reach their destinations.
People in Hubei, known for their strong emotional connections, are also major senders of cross-regional packages. According to JD Express statistics, Guangdong has become the top destination province receiving packages from Hubei, accounting for approximately 10% of the total volume.
How are perishable items like hairy crabs ensured to be delivered quickly and in good condition to loved ones? To ensure holiday gifts, especially fresh specialties like hairy crabs, are delivered swiftly and safely, JD Express has not only increased transportation capacity through air, rail, and road cold chain networks but has also set up convenient collection points near crab farms and professional markets, with additional couriers stationed to ensure fresh specialties like hairy crabs are dispatched promptly.
Mid-Autumn Festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival is a major harvest celebration with roots in China’s ancient moon worship traditions, dating back over 3,000 years. It is traditionally held on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month to give thanks for the harvest and gather under the brightest full moon. The festival is famously celebrated by sharing mooncakes and admiring the moon, symbolizing family reunion and completeness.
Wuhan
Wuhan is a major city in central China, located at the confluence of the Yangtze and Han rivers. Historically, it has been a key transportation hub and was the site of the Wuchang Uprising in 1911, which led to the fall of the Qing Dynasty. In recent history, it gained global attention as the initial epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vanke City
Vanke City is a large-scale urban development project in China, initiated by the Vanke real estate company. It represents a modern approach to urban planning, designed as a comprehensive, mixed-use community with residential, commercial, and public spaces. While not a historical site, its development since the early 21st century reflects the rapid urbanization and real estate trends in contemporary China.
Jianghan District
Jianghan District is a central urban district within Wuhan, China, situated at the confluence of the Yangtze and Han rivers. Historically, it developed from a bustling trading port and was the site of foreign concessions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Today, it is a major commercial and financial hub, known for its shopping streets like Jianghan Road and its well-preserved historical architecture.
Beijing
Beijing is the capital of China and a city with over 3,000 years of history, serving as the nation’s political and cultural center for much of the last millennium. It is renowned for its magnificent historical architecture, including the Forbidden City—the imperial palace from the Ming and Qing dynasties—and the Temple of Heaven. Today, Beijing is a sprawling modern metropolis that also hosts significant contemporary landmarks like the “Bird’s Nest” National Stadium from the 2008 Olympics.
National Day holiday
The National Day holiday in China is an annual celebration commemorating the founding of the People’s Republic of China on October 1, 1949. It is marked by a week-long public holiday known as “Golden Week,” featuring national flag-raising ceremonies, fireworks, and cultural performances. This period also sees one of the world’s largest mass migrations as millions of Chinese travelers visit family or tourist destinations across the country.
Hubei
Hubei is a landlocked province in central China, historically significant as part of the ancient Chu state. It is most famous for the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River and for its capital, Wuhan, a major historical and transportation hub. The province is also renowned as the location of the Wudang Mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a cradle of Taoism and Chinese martial arts.
Guangdong
Guangdong is a coastal province in southern China with a history dating back over 2,000 years, once part of the ancient Nanyue kingdom. It became a major global trade hub through its port city of Guangzhou (Canton) and remains an economic powerhouse today, known for its Cantonese culture, language, and cuisine. The province is also the ancestral homeland for many overseas Chinese and played a significant role in modern Chinese history, including the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road.
