Residents send parcels at the delivery outlet in Luci village, Zhejiang. HE XIAOHUA/FOR CHINA DAILY

The express delivery outlet in Luci is located in the local government service hall. Packages are organized and placed on a shelf in an orderly fashion.

Hong Ya, a village government employee, works as a part-time staff member, helping villagers collect and send parcels.

"It is not always busy at the post, and we have a regular routine to receive and send parcels," Hong said, adding that she can spare the time to take the job.

She receives an extra 400 to 500 yuan ($62 to $77) a month, which saves hiring a full-time employee.

To further reduce outlay, express delivery outlets in villages are set up in premises such as grocery stores and government buildings.

The network in Luci has improved since June, when the express delivery outlet in the village started collecting parcels.

For Qiu Lei, manager of a small luxury hotel in a valley near the village, the system makes it more convenient to send homemade agricultural goods to clients.

"Some customers like our homemade food, such as wine and pickled baby bamboo. Some prefer to leave large pieces of luggage or parcels at the store and ask the staff members to send them home. I can send packages from the outlet in the village, which is more convenient," the 25-year-old said.

Couriers check parcel information at a village in Huaibei, Anhui province. WAN SHANCHAO/FOR CHINA DAILY

He added that some clients also like to send items, such as wine, to the hotel prior to their arrival.

As rooms at the establishment cost 1,500 to 2,000 yuan a night, Qiu needs to buy high-quality commodities, usually costly brands. He also orders handicraft art products, such as gift-wrapping boxes, to create cozy, luxurious and unique conditions for guests.

None of the products is available at brick-and-mortar shops in the village or even the county. Qiu makes the purchases at online stores and receives them via the rural delivery system.

Greater possibilities

In June, a pilot program was undertaken to deliver packages via drones. During the trial, a small number of packages were delivered to Qiu's hotel.

He said it was even more convenient to receive the packages at the front door.

However, he conceded that drone delivery of parcels is still at an early stage, and there are some limitations, such as costs. Moreover, larger packages cannot be delivered by drone.

Still, he will keep an eye on the initiative's progress and is looking forward to seeing parcels delivered to his door.