Li Wei checks his phone for the third time in five minutes. The notification pings again – another delivery headed to the 58th floor. He sighs, adjusts his worn sneakers, and heads toward the gleaming lobby of Tower A in downtown Shenzhen. For Li, this isn’t unusual. He’s one of China’s newest professionals: a relay delivery specialist who spends his days riding elevators up and down some of the world’s tallest residential buildings.
What started as a simple favor for overwhelmed food couriers has become Li’s full-time job. “I never imagined I’d make a living just going up and down in lifts,” he laughs. “But here we are.”
Li’s story isn’t unique. Across China’s megacities, an entirely new profession has emerged from the collision of two modern realities: impossibly tall residential towers and the explosive growth of food delivery apps.
When Skyscrapers Meet Smartphones
Chinese skyscraper delivery has become a logistical puzzle that no one saw coming. In cities like Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Shanghai, residential towers routinely soar past 60 floors. Some housing complexes are so massive they’re essentially vertical neighborhoods, housing thousands of families in a single building.
Meanwhile, food delivery has become as essential as electricity in urban China. Apps like Meituan and Ele.me process millions of orders daily, with riders racing against the clock to maximize their earnings.
The problem? Time equals money for delivery drivers, and tall buildings eat time for breakfast.
“A courier can lose 20-30 minutes just getting to one apartment on the 45th floor,” explains Chen Xiaoming, a logistics consultant in Beijing. “That’s three or four other deliveries they could have completed instead.”
The Numbers Behind China’s Vertical Delivery Challenge
The scale of this challenge becomes clear when you look at the data. China’s residential towers have exploded in both height and density over the past two decades.
| Building Height | Average Elevator Wait | Delivery Time Impact | Courier Income Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20-30 floors | 3-5 minutes | 8-12 minutes total | 15-20% |
| 40-50 floors | 5-8 minutes | 15-20 minutes total | 25-35% |
| 60+ floors | 8-12 minutes | 20-30 minutes total | 40-50% |
The relay delivery system emerged as a natural solution. Key factors driving this trend include:
- Building security restrictions that slow external couriers
- Complex floor layouts in mega-towers
- Peak-hour elevator congestion
- Pressure on main couriers to complete more orders
- Residents willing to pay small tips for reliable service
“It’s basically micro-entrepreneurship,” notes Wang Fei, who studies gig economy trends at Shanghai University. “People are finding ways to monetize every step of the delivery chain.”
How the Relay System Actually Works
The process sounds simple, but it requires surprising coordination. Main delivery couriers arrive at building entrances during peak meal times, often carrying 10-15 orders for different floors. They hand over batches of orders to relay workers who know the building inside and out.
These relay specialists have several advantages over external couriers. They often live in the same building or complex, so security guards recognize them. They know which elevators are fastest, which floors have confusing layouts, and how to navigate the building during busy periods.
Most relay workers are freelancers who respond to job alerts through WeChat groups or specialized apps. Payment is usually per delivery, ranging from 2 to 8 yuan (about 30 cents to $1.20) depending on the floor and complexity.
“I can make 200-300 yuan on a busy evening,” says Zhang Min, a retired office worker who now handles relay deliveries in her 52-story apartment complex in Guangzhou. “It’s not much, but it helps with expenses and keeps me active.”
The Ripple Effects of Vertical Commerce
This relay delivery phenomenon reveals something bigger about urban China’s future. As cities continue building upward, every aspect of daily life needs to adapt to vertical living.
Property developers are starting to take notice. Some newer buildings feature dedicated service elevators for deliveries, while others are experimenting with automated delivery systems and smart lockers on multiple floors.
The impact extends beyond just food delivery. Similar relay systems are emerging for package deliveries, grocery orders, and even maintenance services. “We’re basically creating vertical supply chains,” explains Dr. Liu Mei, an urban planning professor at Tsinghua University.
For the workers themselves, this new profession offers both opportunities and challenges. Many relay workers are retirees, students, or people seeking flexible income. The work requires physical fitness – climbing dozens of floors when elevators break down – but offers schedule flexibility that traditional jobs don’t provide.
However, the pay is modest and unpredictable. “Some days I make good money, other days almost nothing,” admits Li Wei. “It depends on weather, holidays, whether people are ordering more food.”
The long-term sustainability remains uncertain. As Chinese skyscraper delivery systems evolve, technology might eventually replace human relay workers. Some companies are already testing delivery robots and automated systems for high-rise buildings.
But for now, in dozens of Chinese cities, thousands of people like Li Wei are making a living in one of the world’s most uniquely modern professions – helping food travel the last hundred meters vertically through some of humanity’s tallest residential towers.
FAQs
How much do relay delivery workers earn in China?
Most earn 2-8 yuan per delivery, with experienced workers making 200-300 yuan during busy evenings in large buildings.
Which Chinese cities have the most relay delivery jobs?
Shenzhen, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Beijing lead the way due to their high concentration of tall residential towers and active food delivery markets.
Do relay workers need special training or permits?
No formal training is required, but workers need to know building layouts well and maintain good relationships with security guards and residents.
Are building management companies supportive of relay delivery systems?
Most tolerate or even encourage the practice since it reduces lobby congestion and complaints from residents about slow deliveries.
Could technology replace relay delivery workers?
Some buildings are testing delivery robots and automated systems, but human workers remain more flexible and cost-effective for most residential towers.
How do customers find reliable relay workers?
Most connections happen through WeChat groups, building bulletin boards, or word-of-mouth recommendations from neighbors and regular delivery apps.