BEIJING, June 11 -- China's express delivery sector handled about 2.654 billion parcels during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday amid strong demand for local specialties across the country, official data showed.

A total of 1.291 billion parcels were collected during the holiday, up 25.6 percent year on year, the State Post Bureau said on Tuesday.

In the meantime, about 1.363 billion parcels were delivered, representing an increase of 15.4 percent from a year earlier.

Express delivery enterprises have beefed up logistics capabilities on high-speed rail lines, airlines and road networks to cater to the strong demand for the delivery of fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and flowers in the country, the bureau said.