Lijiang emerges as hub for low-altitude economy

A medical staff at Lijiang People’s Hospital uses a drone to deliver supplies.

A drone carrying blood samples took off from the Ronghua Campus of Lijiang People’s Hospital at 9:15 a.m. on September 2, and it landed at the medical supplies station of the Fuhui Campus in just seven minutes.

To enhanced its industrial service, Lijiang has advanced the development of its low-altitude economy, expanding the application of low-altitude technology in tourism, agriculture, plant protection, and medical rescues.

 

A drone testing zone in Lijiang 

Material transfers between the hospital’s three campuses used to rest on ground vehicles, with a one-way tour taking 40 minutes to an hour. This was inefficient in emergencies.

The hospital began to operate a low-altitude network to deliver medical supplies in December 2024. Now the network conducts some 20 flights per day, with a cumulative mileage reaching 6,330 kilometers.

Reporting by Li Tiecheng (Yunnan Daily); Trans-editing by Wang Shixue