Li Qingyu delivers food under the scorching sun in the Jiangbei District of Chongqing on July 15, 2025. (Photo/Li Yuheng)
Chongqing - Chongqing has issued a red heat warning, with temperatures rising above 40–42°C in recent days. As residents stayed indoors, delivery orders surged, making riders among the busiest in the city.
Under the blazing sun, riders continue to hustle through the city streets. Yet, the city has made significant efforts to provide them with much-needed relief, offering "cool shelters" throughout the urban landscape, ensuring their hard work is met with support and comfort.
6,384 'cool shelters' across the city
On July 15, at 10:30 a.m., Li Qingyu, a delivery rider for the Chinese on-demand food delivery platform Ele.me, received her first order of the day.
Within 10 minutes, she reached the pick-up point. By then, her back was drenched in sweat, and the helmet felt like a "steam box". She wiped the sweat off her face and continued on her way to the next stop.
A delivery rider receives free career guidance and psychological counseling services at a service center for workers in emerging gig economy jobs in Jiangbei District on July 15, 2025. (Photo/Li Yuheng)
After delivering over 30 orders that morning, Li took a break and headed to a service center for workers in emerging gig economy jobs in the Jiangbei District. The center offers basic amenities like air conditioning and drinking water, but it also provides psychological counseling, legal aid, and other support services for delivery workers, ride-hailing drivers, and couriers.
For Sun Ke, a rider of five years, such services mark a significant improvement: "Before, we had to rest under trees, in hallways, wherever there was shade. Now, these designated rest stations are everyone’s first choice."
Currently, Chongqing has established 6,384 rest stations across the city to support delivery workers and other service personnel.
Riders' longer delivery time gained consumer understanding
At 2:00 p.m., Xie Daohui, a delivery rider for Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com, completed his 22nd order of the day near Wanda Plaza in Shapingba District. The peak delivery time, especially between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., has seen an increase in orders for cold drinks, which make up a significant portion of her deliveries. During a brief wait, Xie took a long drink from her water bottle. "Recently, JD.com has distributed cooling supplies to every rider, such as cooling patches and sleeves," she said.
To help cope with the high temperatures, delivery platforms like Meituan and JD.com have implemented several measures to protect their riders. These include optimizing delivery routes, extending delivery time limits, and exempting riders from negative reviews due to heat-related delays. "Now, the system automatically extends delivery times, making the job less stressful," said Zhou Yunchuan, a Meituan rider.
Chongqing consumers have also shown increased understanding and patience. "It's so hot, our delivery riders are working hard," one customer said. Another wrote, "No rush, it's okay if the order is a little late." Xie showed several screenshots of customer messages expressing gratitude, with many offering words of appreciation like "Thank you for your hard work."
Li Qingyu (right) enjoys a chilled watermelon with a fellow rider in Jiangbei District on July 15, 2025. (Photo/Li Yuheng)
Cool solutions to tackle the heat
Despite the oppressive heat, riders have found that the city of Chongqing itself is doing its part to cool down the scorching temperatures.
"Taking a break here for just 10 minutes, charging my phone, and I feel fully recharged," said Wang Lei, a rider resting at a service station in Jiefangbei CBD.
In the city's central urban areas, several shopping malls have set up dedicated "rider rest areas", complete with air conditioning, seating, and drinking water. Outside, special parking zones are provided for electric bikes.
In the MixC Mall area in Jiulongpo District, Luo Yubin, a delivery rider, took a bottle of chilled water from a community fridge. These fridges, stocked with cold bottled water and heat-relief medicines, have been placed in various business districts across the city, offering free refreshments to outdoor workers facing the heat.
In line with these efforts, the city also recently released a notice detailing measures to protect workers from heatstroke. These include reducing outdoor work hours during peak heat periods and extending delivery deadlines to ensure the health and safety of delivery riders and others in similar professions.
(Gou Long, as an intern, also contributed to this report.)