Kunshan delivery rider Wang Jibing wins Lu Xun Literary Prize for poetry collection “Low Flight”

Wang Jibing, a 57-year-old food delivery rider from Jiangsu province, has been awarded the prestigious Lu Xun Literary Prize for his poetry collection “Low Flight.” Named after one of modern China’s founding literary figures, the Lu Xun Prize is among the nation’s highest literary honors.
Known as “a delivery rider by day, poet by night,” Wang began working as a delivery rider in Kunshan in 2019. Since then he says he has ridden about 150,000 kilometers on his scooter and written over 6,000 poems. Much of his work centers on the daily struggles, perseverance and dignity of delivery workers.
His latest collection, based on interviews with roughly 200 fellow riders, highlights the harsh realities of China’s gig economy. One standout line reads: “Who says spreading wings means flying high? A low flight is still a flight.”
Wang said he dropped out of school as a youth due to financial hardship and worked various jobs — including construction and street vending — before becoming a delivery rider. He continued to read and write; his poem “Man in a Hurry” went viral on Weibo in 2022 after a delivery mistake forced him to race across the city and face a fine. He published his first poetry collection under the same title in 2023.
Speaking to Global Times after the Lu Xun Prize announcement, Wang said he felt intense pressure before the results and that the award announcement relieved him. Despite the recognition, he has no intention of quitting his job and plans to keep delivering food until he is 60, citing the work’s physical benefits and his commitment. He added that the award will not change who he is.