Posted on 02/04/2026 1:05:42 PM PST by nickcarraway
Huang Kaihong, often described online as 'China’s loneliest rider', works in Medog county in Nyingchi, located in the Tibet region of south-western China. Medog, which sits at the foothills of the Himalayas and has a population of fewer than 15,000 people, was the last county in the country to gain road access, South China Morning Post reported.
A 24-year-old delivery rider has become an essential link for residents and businesses in one of China’s most isolated counties, handling up to 200 orders a day as the only full-time delivery worker in the area.
Huang Kaihong, often described online as “China’s loneliest rider”, works in Medog county in Nyingchi, located in the Tibet region of south-western China. Medog, which sits at the foothills of the Himalayas and has a population of fewer than 15,000 people, was the last county in the country to gain road access, South China Morning Post reported.
In August 2024, Alibaba’s food delivery platform Taobao Shangou, previously known as Ele.me, launched services in Medog. Alibaba Group also owns the South China Morning Post. Huang joined the platform after being introduced to the opportunity by a friend and has since become the county’s only full-time delivery rider.
In an interview with Taobao Shangou, Huang said he was born in Sichuan province and had long been drawn to Tibet’s landscapes. With support from the delivery station manager in Nyingchi city, he visited more than 300 local businesses across Medog, helping them register on the platform and upload menus.
Dressed in the company’s orange uniform and travelling by motorcycle, Huang now delivers as many as 200 orders each day. By comparison, reports indicate that delivery riders in China’s major cities usually complete between 40 and 60 orders daily, earning around four to eight yuan (approximately US$0.60 to US$1) per order.
You May Like See where your glucose has been and where it’s headed. Dexcom by TaboolaSponsored Links Working conditions in Medog remain demanding. Huang said frequent rainfall and mountainous terrain often cause him to slip while riding, leading to high maintenance costs and extended repair time for his vehicle.
Despite these difficulties, he said he finds satisfaction in the job. “I enjoy the wind on the road and the money I earn from each order keeps me grounded,” Huang said.
Outside working hours, he spends time exploring the surrounding area, riding to nearby waterfalls and snow-covered peaks. He said he has learned to live with solitude, describing loneliness as “something I was born with”.
Because of the limited scale of operations in Medog, Huang’s role extends well beyond deliveries. He also manages the local delivery station, supports business operations and occasionally helps resolve disputes between merchants. His monthly income has not been made public.
Local restaurants have welcomed the arrival of Taobao Shangou. One food vendor reported a 30 per cent increase in daily sales and said she was pleased each time a new order notification appeared.
Huang has since become a familiar presence among Medog’s food businesses, and a part-time rider has recently joined to assist him. When working alone, Huang said he often calls his grandmother in his hometown.
Looking ahead, he said he plans to move to Dali in Yunnan province once he has saved enough money. The city is known for its mild, spring-like climate throughout the year.
Huang’s experience has attracted widespread attention online, with related posts receiving more than two million views on mainland Chinese social media platforms.
One user commented: “Huang is a hardworking and capable young man. He cannot afford to take a break or many people would go without their meals.”
Another wrote: “His success lies in mastering one field. His story can inspire many young people to pursue opportunities in remote areas.”
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gig economy success in tibet
That is the proper question.
200 orders per day is claimed.
But that is a completed delivery every four minutes with no break for twelve hours.
What the heck.
In Chinese dramas, you see a lot of deliveries made by motorcycle and frequently food to multiple people at a business.
He’s 24. He works long hours for low wages in rough conditions. But he remains dedicated and has a goal of getting ahead in life. Good for him. He should be an inspiration to young people everywhere. Unfortunately, some 24 year-old US Tik Tok influencer can make a couple million laying in bed and broadcasting to her millions of worldwide subscribers and will probably be what most young people in the US aspire to.
Multiple orders per stop, multiple stops per trip. My son managed a Jimmy Johns when he was in college, the Federal Prison in Terre Haute would be a couple of dozen at certain times, he made great bank doing that, I guess workers there tipped pretty good for the hassle of getting through to them.
Alone in the mountains is an ethereal experience, particularly in the night. Know your limits, know your terrine when you venture out alone in the mountains.
UNREAL! People in that isolated spot have phones to call in orders? Shall we order in “Chinese” tonight?
Separate from this, it reminds me of one of Will Smith’s “Pole to Pole” stories...Incredible. It’s worth watching.
He dove UNDER the ice in the Arctic with an Asian scientist so she could gather whatever grows on the ice under the sea. Stunning pictures. They had equipment problems and had to surface and their ship was leaving but they found another spot to dive under but that time an experienced diver went with her.
I saw one he did in a remote South Pacific island - formed solely from coral reefs...They have had floods and one more large one would wipe them out - completely destroy the reef.
Will Smith has a native of the island with him and they try to convince the inhabitants to LEAVE or they will just be wiped out - vanish from the earth. They say they will never leave. Maybe 150 people live there.
He went there with a gal who was studying languages in the world. They learned they were calling the island by the wrong name..Tench. I can’t recall the name the natives told him when they corrected them.
Such a welcome diversion from Epstein, Minneapolis, blah blah!
“… and a part-time rider has recently joined to assist him. ”
Reading between the lines I sense that Medog should keep an eye on THAT guy…
Food delivery? wow...
What I like are the Mongols. Hu band. I tink it was CJ Wolf who clued me in! Monolian band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4xZUr0BEfE&list=RDv4xZUr0BEfE&start_radio=1
Over there its just called food
“Hi, here’s your food order, think I may have killed a yeti on your driveway, too busy to check it out, you look in morning okay?”
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