Air mail: Altay post office takes a whiff of innovation with canned air service

In a unique marketing initiative, the Altay Ski Theme Post Office has become the country's first to offer canned air for sale. The service, launched recently as part of a trial run, aims to promote Altay's clean air as a special souvenir.

Cans of Altay air are designed to resemble postcards, allowing customers to write messages and mailing addresses directly on the packaging. Since the trial began, over 200 cans have been sold, showcasing a surprising demand for this unconventional souvenir, according to a report of Xinjiang Daily.

"We wanted to make Altay's air into a unique souvenir, so that more tourists can take home a piece of our 'intoxicating' breeze," explained Pan Ting, head of the Altay Ski Theme Post Office.

The air in the cans is sourced from the southern slope of the Altay Mountains, specifically a location near a forest and water source. The air is collected on sunny days after rain, ensuring it has a high concentration of negative oxygen ions, which are believed to have health benefits.

This initiative aligns with the regional post office's broader strategy to promote tourism by integrating unique features of popular tourist attractions into their post office services. In Altay, where a 12,000-year-old cave painting depicts people using animal fur skis, promoting skiing tourism is a key focus.

Canned air as a product is not entirely new. In the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, merchants in the city of Hulunbuir successfully launched a similar product, capitalizing on the popularity of its vast grasslands and clean air.