Guangzhou City now has more than one million registered and active gig workers, including ride-hailing drivers, couriers and food delivery riders. This new workforce has become part of the city's human infrastructure, keeping daily life moving and services running.

Governing a fast-growing platform economy is never easy, but Guangzhou is avoiding one-size-fits-all solutions. Instead, the city is building a practical system that combines legal protection, worker participation, shared governance and smarter digital tools.

A first-of-its-kind employment protection alliance now brings together 85 platform companies and covers about 850,000 workers. To solve disputes faster and more fairly, Guangzhou has also set up 28 one-stop mediation centers, reaching a dispute resolution success rate of over 80 percent. When it comes to services, a smart employment platform is expanding access, supported by more than 1,500 smart employment kiosks across the city. As for the riders on the road, more than 270 Yangcheng Red Rider service hubs offer real support, from basic needs to community care.

From clear rules to warm services, Guangzhou is turning worker protection into something people can actually feel, delivering a strong local model for labor governance in the platform economy era. (Photos via VCG)