BEIJING -- China's postal and courier industry maintained stable operation during the May Day holiday, the State Post Bureau said Thursday.

From April 30 to May 4, 1.34 billion parcels were collected by the country's postal and express companies, up 2.3 percent year-on-year.

Some 1.47 billion parcels were delivered during the period, surging 19.7 percent from a year ago.

During the holiday, priority was given to guaranteeing the delivery of epidemic prevention supplies, emergency medicines and daily necessities, in a bid to ensure that people's basic lives are not affected, the bureau said.