Making more money during the Lunar New Year, Chinese delivery drivers choose not to return home.

As the traditional Chinese New Year of 2025 approaches, it is a symbol of family reunion and bidding farewell to the old while welcoming the new. However, in urban areas of mainland China, one can still see many delivery personnel (also referred to as “food delivery guys”, “riders”) working tirelessly. Instead of returning to their hometowns for the New Year, many of them hope to earn more money by taking advantage of the reduced competition during this period.

According to reports from mainland Chinese media, the demand for food delivery services significantly increases during the Chinese New Year. Due to factors such as less competition and subsidies from businesses, many delivery personnel choose to celebrate the New Year in the cities they work in.

In order to encourage delivery personnel to stay and work during the New Year, several food delivery platforms in mainland China have introduced various subsidies, promoting the slogan “the more you deliver, the more you earn.” Some food delivery guys have shared their past experiences of working during the New Year, mentioning that on average they can earn an additional 6000 to 7000 RMB. By working more shifts, they have the potential to earn even higher wages.

The Chinese food delivery platform Meituan announced that they will be hosting over 6000 events for food delivery personnel to celebrate the New Year in more than a hundred cities across China.

A delivery worker from Anhui province, Xiao Kai, has chosen to work delivering food after his regular shift ends at night. He has decided not to return to his hometown for the New Year, as his company will be on holiday on January 26th. Xiao Kai plans to work extra shifts during the holiday to make extra money.

Li Xiang, a self-media person from Guangdong, stated on January 24th that he is a post-2000s young man who has chosen not to go home for the New Year this year. Light-heartedly, he joked, “While others are celebrating the New Year, I am working.”

He mentioned that during the New Year, many people go back to their hometowns, resulting in fewer delivery personnel being available. As a result, the price per delivery is higher than usual. Li Xiang sees this as an opportunity to earn some extra money during this period.