E-commerce fights its way to old Silk Road depot on Pamirs

"Although we wanted to help the locals, I knew that opening an express delivery business here was not economically sensible," said Tan Wanbin, Li's superior in charge of business in Kashgar.

To Tan's surprise, two months after Li's watch began, some 1,000 orders had been made and delivered to his station. Parcels ranging from sleeping masks to recently released smartphones were shipped through the mountainous trail.

"I noticed that home appliances are gaining popularity since a lot of farmers and herdsmen have moved into new homes," Li said.

Thanks to local authorities' augmented efforts to alleviate poverty, over 1,500 poverty-stricken households in Taxkorgan have resettled in new houses, and more than 3,000 have been provided job opportunities.