Trekking along the Great Wall of China, with its steep steps can
certainly work up an appetite. However, the lack of food stalls along
this ancient monument has long left visitors without options to refuel.
Now, Chinese food delivery giant Meituan has stepped in to fill this
gap, offering a novel solution: food delivery by drone directly to the
Great Wall of China.
The company has launched a drone delivery service on the southern
extension of Badaling, a popular section of the wall near Beijing. This
innovative service allows tourists to order food and supplies directly
to a watchtower whilst exploring the monument.
Yan Yan, public affairs director of Meituan's drone business, told
state broadcaster CCTV: "Through drones, we can make trips that take 50
minutes on foot in five minutes and deliver heat relief items and
emergency supplies to visitors."
The drones, which can operate in moderate wind and rain, fly from a
nearby hotel rooftop to a designated watchtower. They can carry up to
2.3kg per trip, with deliveries available between 10am and 4pm. The
service charges the same 4 yuan (US$0.56) delivery fee as Meituan's
standard services.
This initiative marks Beijing's first drone delivery service and
forms part of Meituan's wider expansion of drone deliveries across
China. Since 2021, the company has established over 30 drone routes in
multiple cities, handling more than 300,000 orders to date.