Deliveries speed up as couriers return to work

Li Haijiao, 34, was among a few couriers borrowed from Bayannuur, Inner Mongolia. He arrived on Thursday and has since settled down in a double room at a hotel with another colleague.

"The job in Beijing is actually easier than back home," he said.

"People in Beijing live in clusters, unlike in my hometown where a small population is scattered across a large area. That means we have to travel far to get things delivered."