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Since 2023, Zhu Ping has been traversing Shenzhen recording obstacles, uneven surfaces, and structures that pose risks to the population. Some complaints were addressed in less than 24 hours, while others took approximately a week, driven by a municipal system that monitors demands published on 42 digital platforms.
Trees blocking pathways, narrow ramps, uneven manhole covers, signs installed at inappropriate heights, and sidewalks with obstacles. Seemingly small urban problems have turned a delivery man from Shenzhen, China, into one of the most well-known figures on the country’s social networks.
The man’s name is Zhu Ping, he is about 40 years old and works delivering on an electric motorcycle.
Since 2023, he has been roaming the streets carrying a tape measure, which he uses to measure public structures and demonstrate, in videos, why certain situations can hinder or endanger the movement of pedestrians, cyclists, the elderly, people with disabilities, and families with strollers.
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The initiative earned Zhu Ping the nickname “Brother Tape Measure,” an approximate translation of “卷尺哥,” the name by which he became known on the Chinese internet. Internet users also began to jokingly call him the “director of the department that takes care of everything.”
According to a report by the Chinese newspaper Beijing News, Zhu Ping has published, since 2023, more than a thousand videos pointing out problems in roads and public spaces. The vehicle’s survey indicated that the situations he showed took, on average, approximately a week to receive some action. Some were resolved on the same day.
Tree was removed in less than 24 hours
One of the episodes that helped the delivery man go viral involved a tree located in the middle of a passage used by cyclists, on Wuhe Avenue, in the Longgang district.
Zhu Ping showed that the tree, which had thorns on its trunk, posed a potential collision risk, especially at night. According to the state agency Xinhua, Bantian urban administration officials saw the video, installed warning signage that same night, and assessed the location.
The next day, the tree was relocated, and the section of the passage was leveled. The removal occurred less than 24 hours after the publication.
Another case involved an access ramp on a walkway. The structure was approximately 48 centimeters wide, a space considered insufficient for certain baby strollers. After the complaint, the ramp was widened to 70 centimeters and received a non-slip surface.
Chinese reports also recorded the removal of a stone slab that protruded about seven centimeters above the sidewalk. The object could cause pedestrians to trip. After the complaint, the stone was removed and the pavement leveled.
Zhu Ping also published videos about manhole covers above or below street level, vegetation encroaching on circulation areas, broken pavements, poles limiting passage, and signs installed in inappropriate positions. On different occasions, he returned to the locations to measure and film the repairs.
Not everything was resolved the next day
The compilations shared on social media give the impression that all complaints were addressed within a few hours. However, the investigation by Beijing News, published on June 2, 2026, shows that the timelines varied.
Some issues were indeed corrected on the same day or the following morning. Others took several days or longer. The newspaper’s estimate, based on the cases analyzed, was approximately one week between the publication and the action taken.
Independent confirmation was also not found for the claim, present in some versions of the viral video, that a certain sign was raised exactly to 2.30 meters. There are records of low signs reported by Zhu Ping and changes made by the authorities, including in other parts of the city, but the exact measurement is not confirmed in the sources consulted.
System monitors complaints on 42 platforms
The speed of the responses made Zhu Ping believe that some authority was directly monitoring his profile. However, the explanation presented by the city hall was different.
Shenzhen maintains the system “@Shenzhen — Rapid Response to Public Opinion”, created to gather and forward complaints related to municipal services. Ding Hui, the director of the Population Demand Service Center, stated that the mechanism monitors publications about Shenzhen on 42 major digital platforms.
Upon finding a potential demand, the team verifies the content, identifies the responsible agency, and forwards the case. Urgent situations, such as safety risks, may receive priority. The system also integrates different departments to prevent a complaint from being transferred between agencies without resolution.
The platform was officially implemented throughout the city in January 2023. According to the municipal government, it brings together channels related to transportation, urban planning, housing, environment, safety, labor rights, public services, and consumer protection.
Case reached the government report
Zhu Ping’s actions gained official recognition in February 2026. The “Tape Measure Brother” phenomenon was mentioned in Shenzhen’s annual government report as an example of collaboration between residents and public administration.
The state broadcaster CCTV also presented a report on the deliveryman, highlighting how an ordinary citizen began contributing to the identification of urban flaws.
Despite the popularity, Zhu Ping claims he continues to work as a deliveryman. In an interview with the Chinese press, he said he does not intend to turn the repairs made by public officials into a way to make money through advertising or sales.
Thus, the story circulating on social media is essentially true: the deliveryman exists, made over a thousand reports, and managed to provoke several corrections. The caveat is that the viral videos condense years of publications and mainly highlight the quickest cases, creating the mistaken impression that absolutely everything was corrected the next day.
The information in this report was verified based on an investigation published by the Chinese newspaper Beijing News. The removal of the tree blocking the passage and other quick repairs were documented by CCTV and also the website of the Shenzhen Government.
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