Food Delivery Rider Wins China’s Lu Xun Literary Prize

Wang Jibing, a food delivery rider and poet from Jiangsu province, won the poetry category of China’s Lu Xun Literary Prize on 15 July 2026 for his collection Low Flight. The ninth edition of the prize recognised 35 works across seven categories, and the award was established in 1996 in memory of the Chinese writer Lu Xun.

Lu Xun Literary Prize

The Lu Xun Literary Prize is one of China’s major literary awards and is given every four years. It recognises works in several genres, including poetry, fiction, essays, and literary criticism. The prize is named after Lu Xun, a leading figure in modern Chinese literature.

Wang Jibing and His Literary Work

Wang Jibing, also written as Wang Jiping in some reports, became a food delivery rider in Kunshan city in 2019. His poetry collection Low Flight, published in 2024, draws on his own work experience and interviews with about 200 delivery riders. His earlier poem Man in a Hurry became widely circulated online in 2022, and his first collection, Man in a Hurry: Poems of a Food Delivery Rider, was published in 2023.

Gig Economy in China

Food delivery work is part of the gig economy, which refers to short-term, task-based employment arranged through digital platforms. In China, delivery riders form a large urban workforce, and their working conditions, income patterns, and mobility have become recurring subjects in contemporary writing.

Important Facts for Exams

• Lu Xun was a Chinese writer associated with modern Chinese literature and social criticism.
• The Lu Xun Literary Prize was first established in 1996.
• The prize is awarded once every four years.
• Wang Jibing won in the poetry category in the ninth edition of the prize.

Wang Jibing said he would continue working as a food delivery rider after receiving the award. Low Flight was published in 2024 and is linked to the experiences of delivery riders in China.