As dawn breaks, a new day of activity commences in Langfang. A parcel dispatched from Yongqing can be delivered to users in Beijing and Tianjin the very next day, following sorting, transport, and delivery. Fresh vegetables cultivated in Gu'an, after washing, cutting, and packaging, grace the dining tables of Beijing residents on the same day.
This is an ordinary day in the northern logistics hub of Langfang. As the express delivery network becomes increasingly dense, freight channels operate more smoothly, and logistics business expands, the vision of "buying globally and selling globally" is accelerating its transformation into tangible reality within this city.
Anchored in the broader context of the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Langfang is mobilizing its full strength to advance its "number one project" in modern trade and logistics. Building upon the foundational 1.0 version focused on factor agglomeration, the city is accelerating its progression towards a 2.0 version emphasizing integration and enhancement, and a 3.0 version aligned with international standards. It has secured seven national-level pilot designations, including National Logistics Hub, marking new strides in the construction of a world-class modern trade and logistics center.
Impressive data underscores the industry's quality improvement and efficiency gains. In the first quarter of this year, the city's modern trade and logistics sector achieved an added value of 223.6 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 8.6%, raising its share of GDP to 25.2%. Total social logistics costs amounted to 114.9 billion yuan, accounting for 13% of GDP, which is 1 percentage point and 0.7 percentage points lower than the national and provincial averages, respectively. This simultaneous rise and fall demonstrates Langfang's robust multiplier effect, driven by optimizing layouts through strengthening, stabilizing, and complementing industrial chains, with one sector's breakthrough invigorating numerous others.
Leading enterprises are providing crucial support, accelerating the rise of five major industrial clusters. On May 25th, the YTO Express Northern Headquarters Base in Yongqing County was bustling with activity, its 73 fully automated sorting lines operating at high speed. The process from unloading and sorting to loading parcels takes as little as 10 minutes.
"We chose to relocate from Beijing in May 2020 and began accepting parcels in October of the same year, achieving signing, construction, and operational efficiency all within that year," said Wang Yilai, Deputy General Manager of the base. Over six years, through intelligent upgrades, the base's daily parcel processing capacity has increased from 6.5 million to 10 million pieces, with annual business volume growing at a rate of 20%.
The adage "Shanghai has Qingpu in the south, Hebei has Langfang in the north" holds true today. Eight major domestic express delivery brands, including "San Tong Yi Da" (ZTO, STO, YTO, Yunda), JD LOGISTICS (HKEX: 02618), and SF Express, have established their northern headquarters or regional distribution centers in Langfang. The city has become the one in Hebei Province with the most operational regional distribution centers and express delivery headquarters, forming a favorable pattern of headquarters agglomeration, industrial expansion, and efficiency enhancement.
Langfang's role as a Beijing-centric express service circle is prominent, with the express industry handling a daily average of 23.01 million transshipments and serving approximately 10.26 million parcels destined for Beijing each day. In Q1 this year, the city's express business revenue reached 3.002 billion yuan, with express business volume hitting 623 million pieces, representing year-on-year growth of 25% and 25.28%, respectively. An express regional headquarters industrial cluster is rapidly emerging here.
By optimizing layouts through complementing, strengthening, and stabilizing industrial chains, Langfang is driving the development of modern trade and logistics industrial clusters through industrial agglomeration. Currently, the city has preliminarily formed five major industrial clusters: the express regional headquarters cluster, the supply chain logistics cluster, the cold chain logistics cluster, the pipeline logistics cluster, and the Beijing-Tianjin surrounding area commercial trade distribution center, with the cluster effect continuously amplifying.
To accelerate the construction of a world modern trade and logistics center, Langfang is vigorously introducing and cultivating leading projects in modern trade and logistics. The city has improved work promotion mechanisms such as joint consultation and review, landing coordination, agent handling, and leadership liaison, comprehensively strengthening project reserves and factor guarantees. A large number of key trade and logistics industrial projects have commenced construction, accelerating the process of linking enterprises into chains and gathering chains into clusters.
On May 24th, at the construction site of the second phase of the Langfang Miniso Industrial Logistics Park project, over 100 workers were intensively engaged in steel reinforcement binding and welding, striving to complete the project for operation by September next year. "This will be developed into a cross-border trade industrial park, from which more popular IP creative products will be sold globally," said Zhang Lei, Engineering Director of Miniso (Langfang) Logistics Co., Ltd.
The project's rapid progress is inseparable from "close-contact" services. Since the project's establishment in 2022, Guangyang District formed a dedicated service team to provide full-process, person-specific follow-up and assistance with various approval procedures. It implemented approval models like "commencement upon land acquisition," "construct before inspection," and "phased construction and acceptance," allowing the main structure of the first phase to be topped out 2.5 months ahead of schedule.
Since the beginning of this year, Langfang has implemented 50 provincial and municipal key modern trade and logistics industrial projects, including the ZTO Supply Chain North China Headquarters and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Air-Rail Intermodal Logistics Hub (Yongqing) Demonstration Base, with a total investment of 28.217 billion yuan. Concurrently, it has vigorously carried out investment promotion, signing 25 new modern trade and logistics projects with investment exceeding 100 million yuan each, with a planned total investment of 6.881 billion yuan.
The influx of quality projects and the solid grounding of major projects have propelled Langfang's modern trade and logistics industry into a period of rapid development. In Q1, the sector's added value reached 223.6 billion yuan, up 8.6% year-on-year. Among this, enterprises above a designated size in trade and logistics achieved operating revenue of 55.74 billion yuan, a 4.4% increase.
New business formats and models are emerging, with "logistics+" facilitating smooth industrial circulation. On May 21st, entering the production base of Hebei Yuanjiu Agricultural Development Co., Ltd. in Xianghe County, vast stretches of vibrant green chives were thriving. Workers collaborated in division of labor, with bundles of fresh chives being sent into logistics transport vehicles after harvesting, bundling, and boxing, supplying over two tons of high-quality chives to the Beijing market daily.
Simultaneously, the company has already entered over 10 online platforms including JD.com. "We adopt an integrated model of 'order-based planting + e-commerce sales,' relying on a fast logistics network to achieve smooth production and sales where products go 'from the field directly to the dining table,'" said Wang Hongyuan, Manager of Hebei Yuanjiu Agricultural Development Co., Ltd.
Langfang is a crucial supplier for Beijing's "vegetable basket." The city is vigorously promoting the integrated, scaled, and clustered development of "logistics + agriculture," preliminarily forming a logistics service network supported by county-level express logistics distribution centers, township-level express logistics service stations, and village-level express logistics service points. In Q1, the express business volume for agricultural and sideline products reached 36.95 million pieces.
On the foundation of comprehensively promoting industrial agglomeration, Langfang is vigorously implementing a "logistics+" strategy, deepening upstream-downstream linkages and the integration of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries, and actively cultivating new business formats and models. Diverse integrated models such as "logistics + commercial services," "logistics + manufacturing," "logistics + technology," and "logistics + agriculture" are continuously emerging, comprehensively enhancing logistics service capabilities and core competitiveness.
On May 21st, at the Intelligent Innovation Center of Gu'an Xintong Signal Technology Co., Ltd., next-generation AGV/AMR intelligent logistics robots were undergoing R&D testing, featuring automated material handling, synchronized online instructions, and real-time data traceability. The company has successfully developed six intelligent logistics robot products, accelerating the implementation of intelligent logistics scenarios in Langfang.
In recent years, Langfang has adhered to the integrated development of "logistics + technology," focusing on six core links including logistics transportation and warehousing, and has established 43 R&D platforms. In Q1, cumulative R&D expenditure reached 59.13 million yuan, resulting in 677 intellectual property achievements in areas like unmanned delivery, accelerating the industry's transformation towards intelligence and innovation.
With logistics accelerating, it smoothens the grand industrial cycle. Today, the reach of "logistics+" has extended into various fields of Langfang's economic and social development. Through deep integration with commercial services, culture and tourism, manufacturing, and other sectors, it is unleashing new vitality for industrial development.
In the "logistics + commercial services" domain, Langfang is fully advancing the construction of the Cross-border E-commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zone, having built six cross-border e-commerce parks, two of which are rated as provincial-level cross-border e-commerce industrial parks. It has rented or built 17 overseas warehouses in seven countries, with three assessed as provincial-level overseas warehouses for 2024. Simultaneously, it continues to optimize the county-level commercial system, having cumulatively built eight county-level logistics distribution centers and 77 township-level commercial centers.
To expand the development advantages of "logistics + culture and tourism," the city has optimized logistics layouts for cultural industry agglomeration zones, constructing an industrial ecosystem integrating trade, warehousing, and processing. Currently, over 30 types of characteristic cultural and tourism products have established cooperation with logistics enterprises. Specialized cultural and tourism products like Xianghe cloisonné and Dachang filigree inlay are reaching nationwide and global markets through the efficient logistics system.
Adhering to "logistics + manufacturing" development, Langfang, through scenario牵引 and policy support, has signed cooperation agreements with two leading unmanned vehicle enterprises, Beijing Neolix and Suzhou Jiushi Intelligent Technology, promoting the integrated and mutually reinforcing development of the two industries. As of the end of March this year, the number of enterprises in the city's "logistics + manufacturing" field increased to 56, achieving operating revenue of 3.399 billion yuan, a year-on-year growth of 47.54%.
Digital intelligence is enabling green transformation, reducing costs, increasing efficiency, and improving quality in trade and logistics. On May 25th, at Hongxianda Technology Group Co., Ltd. in Gu'an County, with warehouse racks neatly lined and parcel conveyors running smoothly, 52 robots, relying on AI algorithms for autonomous scheduling, increased sorting efficiency by 3.3 times compared to before. Empowered by "logistics+," they have reconstructed logistics workflows, transitioning from the traditional "person finds book" to "book finds person."
"We adopt an operational model of intensive warehousing, intelligent sorting, and efficient distribution, precisely adapting to the market demands of publishers, book e-commerce platforms, cultural and creative enterprises, and others. We have built a nationwide e-commerce logistics network, with a peak daily order processing capacity exceeding 70,000 orders," said Zhai Penghui, Deputy Manager of the E-commerce Department Warehouse.
As one of the first national smart city pilot cities, Langfang deeply integrates cutting-edge technologies like big data, IoT, and AI into the entire chain of warehousing, sorting, transportation, and distribution. This is propelling the trade and logistics industry from a traditional model reliant on manual labor into a new high-quality development stage characterized by "smart flow."
At JD.com's Intelligent Industrial Park Industrial Intelligent Distribution Center, relying on the "Zhuge System," inventory turnover has been reduced from 7 days to 3 days, and滞销loss rates have dropped by 60%. ENN Energy Logistics Co., Ltd. independently developed the "Yuntu Cloud" intelligent management platform, reducing annual costs by 3 million yuan. Visiting various logistics enterprises in Langfang, scenes of intelligent and green applications are ubiquitous.
In transportation and delivery, unmanned logistics vehicles are demonstrating their prowess. On the morning of May 22nd, at a YTO Express outlet in Qiuzhuang Town, Anci District, an unmanned delivery vehicle slowly stopped outside the station. Staff lightly tapped the "pickup" button on the "Jiushi City Delivery" app on their phones, completing the handover of over 200 parcels in less than 5 minutes, significantly improving delivery efficiency.
To date, Langfang has deployed 269 unmanned logistics vehicles, more than five times the number from April last year. Coverage includes the main urban area and key counties (cities, districts) surrounding Beijing like Sanhe, Gu'an, Xianghe, and Dachang. This achieves precise and efficient connection between supply and demand, optimal matching of "people, vehicles, goods, and routes," and enables more accurate digital intelligence empowerment and more robust shared development.
Empowering industrial upgrading with "shared logistics," Langfang also promotes the共建共享of logistics facilities and equipment, product technology, service networks, and data information according to local conditions. It accelerates the transformation of warehouse management and last-mile delivery from labor-intensive to intelligent-driven models, achieving full coverage of delivery services across urban and rural areas.
On May 25th, entering the Xianghe County Urban-Rural Express Intelligent Co-distribution Center, parcels flowed precisely along conveyors for分流, with the sorting process being efficient and orderly. Currently, by integrating six express companies including YTO, the center achieves "shared warehousing, shared sorting, shared distribution, and shared transportation," establishing a three-level county-township-village logistics co-distribution system.
"We have set up 154 express stations in Xianghe, purchased 50 new energy logistics vehicles, and opened over 100 logistics transportation routes, with a daily average inbound and outbound volume of around 400,000 pieces," said Qin Jixing, General Manager of the center. "Shared logistics" not only improves delivery operation efficiency but also saves operational costs and alters the industry landscape of恶性competition and重复investment.
Digital intelligence empowerment and green transformation are continuously improving the organizational level and efficiency of logistics, effectively reducing overall social logistics costs. In Q1, the added value of Langfang's modern trade and logistics industry accounted for over a quarter of GDP, while total social logistics costs were 13.0% of GDP, 1 percentage point and 0.7 percentage points lower than the national and provincial averages, respectively.
The city is building a multimodal transport system, with internal and external connectivity networks radiating globally. On May 25th, at the construction site of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Air-Rail Intermodal Logistics Hub (Yongqing) Demonstration Base project, the incubation center building was undergoing intensive interior finishing, while inspection warehouses and freight warehouses were simultaneously under main structure construction. As a key载体for Langfang's构建"air-rail-road-sea" multimodal transport, the first phase of the project is in full冲刺, aiming for completion and operation within the year.
The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Air-Rail Intermodal Logistics Hub (Yongqing) Demonstration Base is adjacent to Beijing Daxing International Airport and Tianjin Port, covering major cities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region within a one-hour drive. It is planned to achieve seamless "air-rail-road-sea" multimodal transport connectivity, forming an integrated service system of "core logistics + value-added support + industrial empowerment."
"With a total investment of 10.1 billion yuan, the project will have an annual cargo throughput capacity of 20 million tons upon completion. It will provide multimodal transport services for enterprises in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, establishing a high-efficiency, low-cost international logistics channel, and助力the accelerated quality improvement and upgrading of logistics and related industries in the region," said Zhang Xibo, General Manager of Langfang Land Port Logistics Group Co., Ltd.
By optimizing platform carriers and enhancing functional support, Langfang is accelerating the construction of three major multimodal transport bases: the "air-highway" intermodal base in the临空Economic Zone, the "air-rail-road-sea-post" base in the main urban area, and the "air-rail-road-sea" base in Yongqing. By densifying the "air-rail-road-sea" multimodal transport system, it全力构建an international logistics channel linking the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and面向the world.
Regarding railway and公路logistics枢纽construction, the Langfang Land Port Logistics Park, Langfang Railway Logistics Hub, and Langfang (Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei) High-speed Rail Freight Hub are included in the provincial railway comprehensive freight hub development plan. Langfang possesses 10 railway stations and freight yards, operating 12 international freight trains to Europe and Central Asia. A batch of road network optimization and highway interchange expansion projects, such as the Beijing-Shanghai Expressway expansion and Langfang-Zhuozhou expansion, are steadily progressing.
Langfang fully leverages the radiating effect of Beijing Daxing International Airport, utilizing the叠加advantages of the临空Economic Zone, Pilot Free Trade Zone, Comprehensive Bonded Zone, and Cross-border E-commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zone to accelerate the creation of a global aviation logistics hub. It has successfully opened import-export channels to 113 countries, further enhancing the internationalization level of modern trade and logistics.
In recent years, the city has actively sought international air routes, traffic rights, and slot resources, developing全货机business. Since the开通of the first全货机charter flight route from Daxing Airport to Paris on May 9th last year, 102 flights have been operated cumulatively, carrying a total cargo volume of 4,901 tons, driving foreign trade import-export value of 1.047 billion yuan, with Hebei-origin export cargo value accounting for 27%.
The Baiyang Pharmaceutical Brand Commercialization Logistics Base has commenced operations, and "Feixiong Lingxian," the全国最大的生鲜冻品数字化供应链服务平台, has signed and settled in. Langfang and trade and logistics enterprises have completed一次次"two-way奔赴," with the industrial cluster effect accelerating. In Q1, the city achieved a regional GDP of 88.65 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 4.8%.
Standing at a new starting point, Langfang is planning for a new leap. During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, it will focus on realizing its "logistics vision," vigorously developing international logistics, aviation logistics, supply chain logistics, and cold chain logistics, cultivating more smart logistics application scenarios, and striving to become the city in northern China with the highest logistics efficiency and lowest costs. It aims to play a greater role in畅通the domestic and international双循环and integrating into the new development格局.
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