Sangye Drolma, a villager from Metok village, Metok county, Nyingchi city, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, packed freshly picked tea leaves into a logistics container. Moments later, a drone, capable of carrying up to 50 kilograms over 15 kilometers, took off. Within minutes, more than 20 kilograms of tea leaves arrived at a collection point 10 kilometers away.

"Before, we had to carry the tea down the mountain by hand, and some gardens are even higher up and farther away. Spring rains often turn the roads into mud, making transport tough. Using drones is so much quicker and easier," said Sangye Drolma.

Tea leaves rise into the air in a logistics container, lifted by a drone, in Metok village, Metok county, Nyingchi city, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. (Photo/Yuan Ying)

To promote the orderly development of Xizang's low-altitude economy, Xizang Yizhou Technology Co., Ltd. recently partnered with logistics companies to carry out drone test flights in Metok county. The tests covered a range of scenarios, including delivery logistics, transport of agricultural products, tea garden inspections, forest patrols, and traffic monitoring.

Li Fengwei, general manager of the delivery company YTO Express in Nyingchi, has seen firsthand the benefits of drone delivery.

"The test flight covered roughly 15 kilometers, from our outlet in the county seat of Metok county to the village. By car, the same trip usually takes around 40 minutes, but the drone completed it in just a few minutes," Li said.

Beyond the drone used in the test flight, there are also twin-rotor, gasoline-powered heavy-lift drones that can carry up to 150 kilograms, fly more than 110 kilometers, and reach altitudes above 6,000 meters. Equipped with the BeiDou navigation satellite system, they ensure accurate and safe flight paths.

"In the future, we'll collaborate with relevant departments to conduct more test flights, helping local agricultural products reach the market quickly and bring emergency supplies promptly," said Ma Weijun, a drone operator.