Mountainous town sees future in drone industry

CHENGDU — The morning of Jan 20 brought two pieces of good news for Yuan Tao, Party chief of Chewang, Sichuan province — a drone company established in the town just two months ago had already secured orders through to the end of the year.

The orders were expected to bring in tax revenue nearing 600,000 yuan ($84,000). In addition, a local bamboo processing company was planning to expand its capacity in 2025.

According to Yuan's calculations, excluding the income boost for locals, the town is projected to generate record tax revenue of over 1.2 million yuan this year, marking a substantial increase of more than 20 percent compared to 2024.

The reason behind this surge is the low-altitude economy.

Before 2024, the town, with a population of over 23,000 in Luzhou city, was primarily known for its bamboo industry. Most local farmers had never ventured outside the city, let alone seen a drone in person.

It all began in early September, when Wang Fei, head of Sichuan Honghuang Technology, a company specializing in drone operations, was informed about Chewang's bamboo resources during a business matchmaking workshop in Luzhou.

Wang then visited Chewang, intending to establish a cableway to help villagers transport bamboo from the mountains.

Surrounding Chewang are bamboo forests that span over 20,000 hectares, making it one of the core bamboo production areas in Luzhou. However, due to the mountainous terrain, transporting bamboo harvested from the hilltops is a major challenge, often leading villagers to watch their bamboo "naturally perish" as they struggle to move it.

Rather than building a cableway, Wang thought to himself, why not transport the bamboo directly with drones?

After conducting a field survey, Wang presented the idea to Yuan, pointing out that many of the bamboo groves were within 300 meters of rural roads.

In early November, Wang brought a team to demonstrate the transportation process.

Following instructions, a villager swiftly bound a 50-kilogram bundle of bamboo to a rope attached to a drone, which then flew about 300 meters before unloading it beside the village road — all within five minutes.

It was an eye-opening experience for Yuan and his fellow villagers.

"I thought this could only happen in a movie," Yuan told Xinhua News Agency. "How can such a 'big toy plane' do something like this?

"Using drones can solve over 70 percent of the transportation challenges for bamboo in our town," he added.

Following the demonstration, Sichuan Qingmu Tianque Technology was founded in the town, with a registered capital of 3 million yuan. The company's operations cover public air transport, general aviation services and air cargo packaging.

Zhou Jiangtao, a bamboo buyer and frequent visitor to Chewang, was stunned by the changes.

He explained that, just the day before, the drones had transported four metric tons of bamboo from the mountains, and by the following morning they had a total of around 10 tons, just enough for one truck.

Previously, it took three villagers about three days to move one ton of bamboo just 200 meters.

"With a daily wage of 150 yuan per person for workers transporting bamboo and a market price of 500 yuan per ton, our bamboo farmers were barely making any money," Yuan said.

However, with drone transport, covering the same distance means that moving one ton of bamboo requires 20 drone trips, which can be completed in just two hours at a cost of 200 yuan.

Following the delivery of an additional 30 drones, Yuan said, they plan to expand their business to surrounding areas, and will initiate training for drone operators.

Skilled workforce

At the drone pilot training base of Luzhou Vocational and Technical College, 40 retired military personnel are undergoing a three-month training program.

Meanwhile, students enrolled in the 2024 drone application technology program are learning simulated flight training at a virtual drone simulation center.

The training base boasts a standardized runway measuring 140 meters by 40 meters, and is equipped with virtual simulation training devices, along with facilities such as a drone hangar and fully equipped classrooms.

"Our college serves as a cradle for cultivating drone technology talent in Luzhou," said Bao Xuedong, vice-president of the college, adding that Luzhou is the first city in the province to launch cooperative school programs linked to low-altitude economy disciplines.

Wen Yonggang, a student enrolled in the drone application technology program since September, said, "The training is helping me become a more employable 'near-professional'."

He chose this major not only to fulfill his dream of "serving the nation through aviation" but also because of the rapidly developing drone industry, which offers vast potential and promising career prospects.

In his spare time, Wen participates in activities through the college's drone association. "By the time I graduate, I hope to earn both a certificate in drone maintenance and a drone pilot license," he said.

The first batch of 148 students began their full-day training in September.

"Acquiring an additional professional skill opens up more employment opportunities for me in the future," said Zhou Yidong, a university student and veteran who has long been interested in drones.

China's central government has identified the low-altitude economy as a key sector for developing new quality productive forces, with the Sichuan provincial government taking significant steps to promote its growth.

This year, the college has initiated partnerships with the Ordnance Science and Research Academy of China of the China North Industries Group Corporation, and China's major commercial unmanned aerial vehicle company JOUAV, based in Sichuan's capital Chengdu, to establish an industrial academy.

The college plans to expand partnerships with leading enterprises to establish a low-altitude flight school and develop productive drone training bases on campus to cultivate high-quality professionals to support the growth of smart manufacturing and the low-altitude economy in Luzhou.

Xinhua