I am a courier in Beijing.
 |
Description
Book Introduction
A high-resolution essay on the hardships of making a living, yet the humanity and dignity that cannot be abandoned.
Huan Yan, the 'writing delivery man'.
The birth of a contemporary writer who has captured the world's attention
Over 1 million views through word of mouth alone, 2 million copies sold immediately after publication
Douban Bestseller for 9 consecutive weeks, Book of the Year, Author of the Year… A mega-bestseller that shook the media, readers, and literary world.
Copyright agreements signed in 16 countries worldwide
Film rights contract, TV drama in production
Reporter Da-hye Lee, producer Hye-yoon Jeong, Min-seop Kim, Ki-tae Kim, Dae-geon Jeong, and Chung-nyeong Lee of "Chungko's Philosophy" are receiving a flood of praise.
"If I had to choose one essay this year, it would be this one." "A book I would definitely recommend to anyone struggling even now."
A profound essay on the meaning and freedom of work discovered through various labors, including night shift loading and unloading at a logistics center, delivery driver, fast food delivery, gas station worker, shopping mall security guard, and online shopping mall startup.
The article, which was accidentally posted online, was viewed over a million times by word of mouth alone, leading to its publication and becoming a bestseller for nine consecutive weeks in Douban, and was selected as Book of the Year and Author of the Year, and sold over 2 million copies overall, creating a sensation.
Huan Yan, a 20-year-old who was literally 'thrown out into society' after graduating from high school.
My parents taught me that I should just work hard, not be a burden to others, and live frugally, but the world that unfolds before me is not like that.
Huan Yan has no social skills, no way of standing in line, no particular education or wealth, but he uses his unique sincerity as a weapon to live the life that lies before him.
With his uniquely delicate sensibility, he observes the world of capitalism and market economy that surrounds him and faithfully records it.
"I am a courier in Beijing" is a story of a young man named Huan Yan's career experiences of 19 different jobs over 20 years, and a record of his courageous escape in search of the life that suits him.
It is also an honest self-confession about the anxiety and alienation that young people in this era inevitably experience, as well as the resentment and wandering that comes from not knowing where to turn.
Huan Yan works as a 100-yuan-per-minute delivery machine, often dehumanizing, but grows through reading and experiences self-liberation through writing.
Work and writing were the two main axes that supported his life.
As author Kim Ki-tae pointed out, “He runs on the streets on both feet to make a living, but sometimes he raises his head and gazes at his lofty dreams.
“That dream is ‘freedom.’” As producer Jeong Hye-yoon said, “I hope people who are looking for a compromise between work and freedom read this book.”
Huan Yan, the 'writing delivery man'.
The birth of a contemporary writer who has captured the world's attention
Over 1 million views through word of mouth alone, 2 million copies sold immediately after publication
Douban Bestseller for 9 consecutive weeks, Book of the Year, Author of the Year… A mega-bestseller that shook the media, readers, and literary world.
Copyright agreements signed in 16 countries worldwide
Film rights contract, TV drama in production
Reporter Da-hye Lee, producer Hye-yoon Jeong, Min-seop Kim, Ki-tae Kim, Dae-geon Jeong, and Chung-nyeong Lee of "Chungko's Philosophy" are receiving a flood of praise.
"If I had to choose one essay this year, it would be this one." "A book I would definitely recommend to anyone struggling even now."
A profound essay on the meaning and freedom of work discovered through various labors, including night shift loading and unloading at a logistics center, delivery driver, fast food delivery, gas station worker, shopping mall security guard, and online shopping mall startup.
The article, which was accidentally posted online, was viewed over a million times by word of mouth alone, leading to its publication and becoming a bestseller for nine consecutive weeks in Douban, and was selected as Book of the Year and Author of the Year, and sold over 2 million copies overall, creating a sensation.
Huan Yan, a 20-year-old who was literally 'thrown out into society' after graduating from high school.
My parents taught me that I should just work hard, not be a burden to others, and live frugally, but the world that unfolds before me is not like that.
Huan Yan has no social skills, no way of standing in line, no particular education or wealth, but he uses his unique sincerity as a weapon to live the life that lies before him.
With his uniquely delicate sensibility, he observes the world of capitalism and market economy that surrounds him and faithfully records it.
"I am a courier in Beijing" is a story of a young man named Huan Yan's career experiences of 19 different jobs over 20 years, and a record of his courageous escape in search of the life that suits him.
It is also an honest self-confession about the anxiety and alienation that young people in this era inevitably experience, as well as the resentment and wandering that comes from not knowing where to turn.
Huan Yan works as a 100-yuan-per-minute delivery machine, often dehumanizing, but grows through reading and experiences self-liberation through writing.
Work and writing were the two main axes that supported his life.
As author Kim Ki-tae pointed out, “He runs on the streets on both feet to make a living, but sometimes he raises his head and gazes at his lofty dreams.
“That dream is ‘freedom.’” As producer Jeong Hye-yoon said, “I hope people who are looking for a compromise between work and freedom read this book.”
- You can preview some of the book's contents.
Preview
index
Chapter 1.
Guangzhou Logistics Center Night Shift
What a Year of Night Work Left Behind
Chapter 2.
Beijing courier
Job Search and Interview
Probationary period and employment
vagabond life
I became an official team member
Star ratings and sick leave
Peak season and job changes
Pinjun Express
Time cost of 0.5 yuan per minute
Revenge Notepad
Loss and Compensation
Layoffs and COVID-19
Chapter 3.
Shanghai Bicycle Shop
Convenience store night shift worker
A year at a bike shop
Chapter 4.
Other things
From the first to the eighth day
From the ninth to the eleventh day
Start writing
The twelfth day
The thirteenth and fourteenth days
The fifteenth day
The sixteenth and seventeenth days
Epilogue: The Great Disappointment of Laetitia Pilkington
Review.
Another part of life
Guangzhou Logistics Center Night Shift
What a Year of Night Work Left Behind
Chapter 2.
Beijing courier
Job Search and Interview
Probationary period and employment
vagabond life
I became an official team member
Star ratings and sick leave
Peak season and job changes
Pinjun Express
Time cost of 0.5 yuan per minute
Revenge Notepad
Loss and Compensation
Layoffs and COVID-19
Chapter 3.
Shanghai Bicycle Shop
Convenience store night shift worker
A year at a bike shop
Chapter 4.
Other things
From the first to the eighth day
From the ninth to the eleventh day
Start writing
The twelfth day
The thirteenth and fourteenth days
The fifteenth day
The sixteenth and seventeenth days
Epilogue: The Great Disappointment of Laetitia Pilkington
Review.
Another part of life
Detailed image
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Into the book
I used to think that this kind of rest was truly happiness, seeing people relaxing on the sofa after a long day's work.
I felt more tired than them even though I hadn't even started work yet.
Every time that happened, I would curse at myself.
My body cursed my will, and my will cursed my body.
I swore I would go straight to sleep when I got off work tomorrow morning.
But the next morning, the situation was exactly the same as the day before.
Days like that kept repeating.
--- pp.23-24 From “Guangzhou Logistics Center Night Work”
Just as deep-sea fish are blind and desert animals can withstand thirst, the kind of person I become is determined by my environment, not by my nature.
I noticed that my work environment was slowly changing me, making me more impatient, easily irritable, and irresponsible.
I can no longer keep the standards I have maintained so far, and I don't want to.
--- p.80 From “The Beijing Courier”
Since I worked on the 26th of every month, my daily wage was 270 yuan.
That was the value of my labor (let's not say 'price').
[...] I had to achieve 30 yuan per hour and an average of 0.5 yuan per minute.
That was the cost of my time.
Since he received an average of 2 yuan for delivering one item, this meant that he would not lose money if he delivered one item every 4 minutes.
Increasingly, I find myself looking at problems from an economic angle and considering time from a cost perspective.
--- pp.115-116 From "The Courier in Beijing"
Since I lived in the store, Lucky's walks naturally became my responsibility.
Every evening, after closing and everyone else leaving, I had to wrap up the day's sales and take Lucky for a walk.
I thought to myself, as I watched him pee so proudly and picked up his warm poop with a newspaper, that his life was worse than a dog's.
By the time I finished all that, it was already 12 o'clock and I felt like I had been completely deprived of my personal time and freedom.
--- p.187 From “Shanghai Bicycle Shop”
I wasn't used to bargaining with people, and I didn't like discussing benefits or conditions.
Whenever I negotiate, I feel like I'm deliberately trying to incur their hatred.
The personality of not wanting to be hated by anyone and wanting to look good to everyone amplified the fear of people.
It's paradoxical, but because I wanted to look good so much, I started to hate getting close to people.
Because the urge to appear like a good person always ended in disappointment and frustration.
--- p.219 From “Other Things”
From then on, I read books I had never read before and would never have read otherwise, and I was able to encounter concepts and arguments that changed me.
Thanks to that experience, I was able to break free from the past where I thought I could just live my life as it was, and take a fresh look at the various values and meanings of life, what is important and what is not.
Of course, the change did not happen in an instant, nor was it completed right away.
The seeds were sown, and over a long period of time, slowly but firmly, they took root and sprouted, and they still influence me to this day.
--- p.236 From “Other Things”
I lived in Daguan for a year or so without going to work, so every day was enjoyable.
I never felt like I wasted my time doing nothing.
If I just worked hard every day, it wouldn't be meaningless.
If Alexander the Great came to me and asked what I needed, I would probably ask that the sunlight not be blocked.
--- p.291 From “Other Things”
I think freedom is not about what you enjoy, but what you can be conscious of.
The freedom I want to talk about is a personal desire and self-realization based on a high level of self-awareness, and it is a spirit that is clearly distinct from others.
I believe that the more people who yearn for such freedom, the more diverse and pluralistic the world can become, the more equal and inclusive it can become, and the richer and more multifaceted it can become.
--- pp.319-320 From “Another Part of Life”
I was able to overcome the conflict between work and freedom to some extent through writing.
In the face of limited choices and harsh realities, I increasingly find myself thinking that the ordinary moments of a day are more meaningful than the grand struggles and challenges of life.
I felt more tired than them even though I hadn't even started work yet.
Every time that happened, I would curse at myself.
My body cursed my will, and my will cursed my body.
I swore I would go straight to sleep when I got off work tomorrow morning.
But the next morning, the situation was exactly the same as the day before.
Days like that kept repeating.
--- pp.23-24 From “Guangzhou Logistics Center Night Work”
Just as deep-sea fish are blind and desert animals can withstand thirst, the kind of person I become is determined by my environment, not by my nature.
I noticed that my work environment was slowly changing me, making me more impatient, easily irritable, and irresponsible.
I can no longer keep the standards I have maintained so far, and I don't want to.
--- p.80 From “The Beijing Courier”
Since I worked on the 26th of every month, my daily wage was 270 yuan.
That was the value of my labor (let's not say 'price').
[...] I had to achieve 30 yuan per hour and an average of 0.5 yuan per minute.
That was the cost of my time.
Since he received an average of 2 yuan for delivering one item, this meant that he would not lose money if he delivered one item every 4 minutes.
Increasingly, I find myself looking at problems from an economic angle and considering time from a cost perspective.
--- pp.115-116 From "The Courier in Beijing"
Since I lived in the store, Lucky's walks naturally became my responsibility.
Every evening, after closing and everyone else leaving, I had to wrap up the day's sales and take Lucky for a walk.
I thought to myself, as I watched him pee so proudly and picked up his warm poop with a newspaper, that his life was worse than a dog's.
By the time I finished all that, it was already 12 o'clock and I felt like I had been completely deprived of my personal time and freedom.
--- p.187 From “Shanghai Bicycle Shop”
I wasn't used to bargaining with people, and I didn't like discussing benefits or conditions.
Whenever I negotiate, I feel like I'm deliberately trying to incur their hatred.
The personality of not wanting to be hated by anyone and wanting to look good to everyone amplified the fear of people.
It's paradoxical, but because I wanted to look good so much, I started to hate getting close to people.
Because the urge to appear like a good person always ended in disappointment and frustration.
--- p.219 From “Other Things”
From then on, I read books I had never read before and would never have read otherwise, and I was able to encounter concepts and arguments that changed me.
Thanks to that experience, I was able to break free from the past where I thought I could just live my life as it was, and take a fresh look at the various values and meanings of life, what is important and what is not.
Of course, the change did not happen in an instant, nor was it completed right away.
The seeds were sown, and over a long period of time, slowly but firmly, they took root and sprouted, and they still influence me to this day.
--- p.236 From “Other Things”
I lived in Daguan for a year or so without going to work, so every day was enjoyable.
I never felt like I wasted my time doing nothing.
If I just worked hard every day, it wouldn't be meaningless.
If Alexander the Great came to me and asked what I needed, I would probably ask that the sunlight not be blocked.
--- p.291 From “Other Things”
I think freedom is not about what you enjoy, but what you can be conscious of.
The freedom I want to talk about is a personal desire and self-realization based on a high level of self-awareness, and it is a spirit that is clearly distinct from others.
I believe that the more people who yearn for such freedom, the more diverse and pluralistic the world can become, the more equal and inclusive it can become, and the richer and more multifaceted it can become.
--- pp.319-320 From “Another Part of Life”
I was able to overcome the conflict between work and freedom to some extent through writing.
In the face of limited choices and harsh realities, I increasingly find myself thinking that the ordinary moments of a day are more meaningful than the grand struggles and challenges of life.
--- p.324 From “Another Part of Life”
Publisher's Review
The joys and sorrows of working people,
Sharp thinking about the value beyond
"I am a Delivery Man in Beijing" is the brilliant debut work of Huan Yan, a "writing delivery man" who actually worked as a delivery man in Beijing, China, the world's largest delivery city and a paradise for delivery services, and experienced the abyss that sustains that "heaven."
Huan Yan sharply examines the ways in which something anyone can start, but no one can easily endure, can eat away at one's body and mind.
Working as a delivery driver, you feel pressured to earn 100 won per minute, and every second counts as money, making you tense.
When I work night shifts at a logistics center, I find myself struggling with the fatigue of the day-night cycle, feeling dizzy in real time, and ignoring colleagues with disabilities or those in poor health.
Huan Yan said, “Just as deep-sea fish cannot see and desert animals can tolerate thirst, the kind of person I become is determined by my environment,” and that environment was more important than nature.
And he captures his appearance, which changes depending on the environment he is in, “with a detailed gaze like that of a camera.”
Huan Yan does not simply display his painful reality.
He never misses the magical moments he finds between the cracks of his grueling workday, like the sight of a fellow delivery man calling a stray cat.
And he unfolds fresh thoughts about the thoughts he discovered while encountering literature and music 'later than others', the relationship with his parents who raised him, and the relationships he builds with the people around him.
The author's most insightful part is when he talks about work and freedom while working as a delivery driver and observing delivery drivers resting in a corner of a shopping mall.
He believes that what they do out of necessity to make a living is not their entire life, and that there must be 'another part of life' for which they are willing to sacrifice the present.
So what is it? The author names it "freedom," and says that freedom isn't about not doing something or doing something "comfortable," but about "what one can be conscious of."
And when everyone has a self that is different from others, the world will become “more diverse and pluralistic, more equal and inclusive, and more abundant and multifaceted.”
The reason why "I am a Delivery Man in Beijing" received so much love and caused such a huge stir among the media, readers, and even the literary world as soon as it was published is probably because the book not only depicts the daily lives of working people with a calm and sincere attitude, but also conveys to readers the ideals that enable them to live such a reality, as well as the human dignity and nobility discovered in the process.
It started with a post I happened to make on the internet.
A mega bestseller,
The Birth of the "Writing Courier" Who Gave Global Attention
The author of this book, Huan Yan, has never formally studied literature or writing.
The author's reading experience began when he started reading various books while waiting for customers while selling clothes at a shopping mall (this was the author's eleventh job).
He was deeply impressed by Salinger's work, which dealt with the innocence of the world, and by Raymond Carver's depiction of the breakdown of everyday life.
After that, I started reading the works of Hemingway, Kafka, Yeats, Capote, James Joyce, etc. and started writing by imitating them.
The turning point came at the end of 2019, when the delivery company I was working for suddenly went out of business and laid off all of its drivers.
To make matters worse, while on leave from work due to the COVID-19 lockdown, he posted his work experience on an internet site where he usually posts movie and book reviews.
The article, which was posted without much expectation, became a sensation through word of mouth, garnering over a million views and eventually leading to its publication.
The book, “I am a Delivery Man in Beijing,” captivated readers by staying on the bestseller list for nine consecutive weeks in major bookstores.
The book was nominated for Book of the Year in 2023, and Huan Yan was named Author of the Year.
It attracted the attention of media outlets such as People's Daily, Tencent, Caixin, GQ, New Beijing News, Southern People's Weekly, Literature and Arts News, Southern Weekly, Beijing Review of Books, and Sanlian Life Weekly, and there were over 100,000 articles and reviews.
Although Huan Yan is not a formally debuted writer, he has swept literary awards such as the Danxiangjie Literary Award, the Sichuan Literature Award, the China Young Writers Award, and the Sanren Book Award, demonstrating his ability as a thoughtful “courier who writes.”
This book has caught the eye of a famous American agency and is currently being prepared for publication in 16 countries around the world. It is also being produced as a TV series as well as a movie rights contract.
Between reality and ideal,
A personal yet universal story that belongs to all of us
As author Kim Ki-tae of “Two People’s International” said, “It is stifling to hear stories that only focus on the problem of making a living.
“A story that pretends there is no problem of making a living is empty.” Good writing that penetrates the times comes from pursuing ideals while looking up to the ‘heaven’ while knowing the reality on the ‘ground.’
What makes "I am a Delivery Man in Beijing" so appealing is that it is a book about humans between heaven and earth.
Moreover, in an age when everyone strives to show off their uniqueness, the author of this book says that he is just an extremely ordinary worker.
So rather than showing off, take a step back and focus on looking at the scenery around you.
For this reason, his writing does not fall into self-pity, but clearly depicts the various aspects of today's people who work and live.
Reader reviews like “Thank you for writing my story” are a testament to how universal even the most personal stories can be.
Sharp thinking about the value beyond
"I am a Delivery Man in Beijing" is the brilliant debut work of Huan Yan, a "writing delivery man" who actually worked as a delivery man in Beijing, China, the world's largest delivery city and a paradise for delivery services, and experienced the abyss that sustains that "heaven."
Huan Yan sharply examines the ways in which something anyone can start, but no one can easily endure, can eat away at one's body and mind.
Working as a delivery driver, you feel pressured to earn 100 won per minute, and every second counts as money, making you tense.
When I work night shifts at a logistics center, I find myself struggling with the fatigue of the day-night cycle, feeling dizzy in real time, and ignoring colleagues with disabilities or those in poor health.
Huan Yan said, “Just as deep-sea fish cannot see and desert animals can tolerate thirst, the kind of person I become is determined by my environment,” and that environment was more important than nature.
And he captures his appearance, which changes depending on the environment he is in, “with a detailed gaze like that of a camera.”
Huan Yan does not simply display his painful reality.
He never misses the magical moments he finds between the cracks of his grueling workday, like the sight of a fellow delivery man calling a stray cat.
And he unfolds fresh thoughts about the thoughts he discovered while encountering literature and music 'later than others', the relationship with his parents who raised him, and the relationships he builds with the people around him.
The author's most insightful part is when he talks about work and freedom while working as a delivery driver and observing delivery drivers resting in a corner of a shopping mall.
He believes that what they do out of necessity to make a living is not their entire life, and that there must be 'another part of life' for which they are willing to sacrifice the present.
So what is it? The author names it "freedom," and says that freedom isn't about not doing something or doing something "comfortable," but about "what one can be conscious of."
And when everyone has a self that is different from others, the world will become “more diverse and pluralistic, more equal and inclusive, and more abundant and multifaceted.”
The reason why "I am a Delivery Man in Beijing" received so much love and caused such a huge stir among the media, readers, and even the literary world as soon as it was published is probably because the book not only depicts the daily lives of working people with a calm and sincere attitude, but also conveys to readers the ideals that enable them to live such a reality, as well as the human dignity and nobility discovered in the process.
It started with a post I happened to make on the internet.
A mega bestseller,
The Birth of the "Writing Courier" Who Gave Global Attention
The author of this book, Huan Yan, has never formally studied literature or writing.
The author's reading experience began when he started reading various books while waiting for customers while selling clothes at a shopping mall (this was the author's eleventh job).
He was deeply impressed by Salinger's work, which dealt with the innocence of the world, and by Raymond Carver's depiction of the breakdown of everyday life.
After that, I started reading the works of Hemingway, Kafka, Yeats, Capote, James Joyce, etc. and started writing by imitating them.
The turning point came at the end of 2019, when the delivery company I was working for suddenly went out of business and laid off all of its drivers.
To make matters worse, while on leave from work due to the COVID-19 lockdown, he posted his work experience on an internet site where he usually posts movie and book reviews.
The article, which was posted without much expectation, became a sensation through word of mouth, garnering over a million views and eventually leading to its publication.
The book, “I am a Delivery Man in Beijing,” captivated readers by staying on the bestseller list for nine consecutive weeks in major bookstores.
The book was nominated for Book of the Year in 2023, and Huan Yan was named Author of the Year.
It attracted the attention of media outlets such as People's Daily, Tencent, Caixin, GQ, New Beijing News, Southern People's Weekly, Literature and Arts News, Southern Weekly, Beijing Review of Books, and Sanlian Life Weekly, and there were over 100,000 articles and reviews.
Although Huan Yan is not a formally debuted writer, he has swept literary awards such as the Danxiangjie Literary Award, the Sichuan Literature Award, the China Young Writers Award, and the Sanren Book Award, demonstrating his ability as a thoughtful “courier who writes.”
This book has caught the eye of a famous American agency and is currently being prepared for publication in 16 countries around the world. It is also being produced as a TV series as well as a movie rights contract.
Between reality and ideal,
A personal yet universal story that belongs to all of us
As author Kim Ki-tae of “Two People’s International” said, “It is stifling to hear stories that only focus on the problem of making a living.
“A story that pretends there is no problem of making a living is empty.” Good writing that penetrates the times comes from pursuing ideals while looking up to the ‘heaven’ while knowing the reality on the ‘ground.’
What makes "I am a Delivery Man in Beijing" so appealing is that it is a book about humans between heaven and earth.
Moreover, in an age when everyone strives to show off their uniqueness, the author of this book says that he is just an extremely ordinary worker.
So rather than showing off, take a step back and focus on looking at the scenery around you.
For this reason, his writing does not fall into self-pity, but clearly depicts the various aspects of today's people who work and live.
Reader reviews like “Thank you for writing my story” are a testament to how universal even the most personal stories can be.
GOODS SPECIFICS
- Date of issue: July 30, 2025
- Page count, weight, size: 332 pages | 135*210*30mm
- ISBN13: 9791155818299
- ISBN10: 1155818296
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