Chengdu to rural Motuo: online delivery changes lives of remote residents
People\'s Daily Online
CirenPingcuocheckstherefrigerator.
Lajie, amanofMenbaethnicity, becameveryexcitedonDec. 13. Hisneighbors, relativesandfriendsallquicklyheardthenews: therefrigeratorthathehadpurchasedone-commercesiteJD.comhadfinallyarrived.
"Afridgeisnothingspecial. ThepointisthatMotuohadneverbeenincludedbeforeinshipmentdestinationsforonlineshops. It’samazingthatthefridgemycousinboughtonlinewasdeliveredtohishome," exclaimedCirenPingcuo, Lajie'scousin.
Thethreedriverssendingtherefrigerator
Lajie'srefrigeratorwentthroughperhapsthehardestshipmentrouteintheworld. ItwasalsothefirstlargehomeapplianceeverdeliveredtoMotuoCounty. LocatedinsouthwesternTibet, MotuowasChina'slastcountywithoutaroadleadingintoituntil2013, whena117-kilometerhighwaylinkingMotuoandBomiCountieswasopened.
TheroadtoMotuo
LajieisateacherinruralMotuo. Heoccasionallybuysitemsonline, butitusedtobethatnomajore-commercesitesprovidedshipmentoflargeitemstoMotuo. OnDec. 2, whenLajiesawtherefrigeratoronsaleonJD.com'sapp, healsonoticedthatMotuowasincludedintheavailableshippingdestinations. Soheplacedanorder.
Oncetheorderwasplaced, theappliancewassentoutfromawarehouseinChengdu. ItarrivedinLhasafirst, wasthentransportedtoLinzhi, andfinallyreachedMotuo. Thewholejourneywas2,900 kilometerslong. Becauseofthedangerousterrain, mostsectionsoftheroadfromLhasatoMotuohaveaspeedlimitof30 kilometersperhour. Ataround3p.m. onDec. 13, threedriversfinallydeliveredtherefrigeratortoLajie'shome.
TherefrigeratorisdeliveredatLajie'shome.
LajiesaidpeoplelivinginMotuousedtorelyonhorsesorgroupsofmentoprocuredailysupplies. Nowtheycanalsoenjoytheconvenienceofe-commerce. Hesaidhecannotimaginewhatitwillbringinthefuture.