Pictures of the Week 2011-16
Hello All,
Our last port of call on the Yangtze River was Chongqing (pronounced Chung king). It is perched on steep hills at the confluence of the Yangtze and its major tributary, the Jialing River. This mountain city was the capital of China during World War II. Outside of China most people haven’t even heard of Chongqing, and for those that have, it barely registers in their minds as a major metropolis. However, Chongqing is the largest city in China and is the fastest-growing urban center on the planet. Its population is rapidly approaching 40 million. Each year a half million more peasants from the poor outlying areas of China arrive in search of a better life.
Nestled between the port and the commercial center of the city is a poor district known as Qiansimen. It is the home of a distinct and unique population. That is the bangbang army, a 100,000-strong crew of porters who bear the city’s weight on their shoulders. Arriving from the countryside with no skills and minimal education, they pick up the cheapest of tools - a bamboo pole (or bangbang) and some rope, and hang around the docks, the markets and the bus stations waiting for goods to carry up the steep slopes of this mountainous port city. They are a prime example of the growing gap between the “haves” and “have-nots” in China.
We first observed “bangbang men” as we disembarked the ship. The water level behind the Three Gorges Dam had been lowered in advance of the rainy season. It looked as if it was a coastal river at low tide. This forced ships to moor a long way from the banks of the river. Makeshift docks were created by placing barges end to end from the deepest part of the river all the way to the edge of the riverbank. As the water level was dropped the barges became grounded. At the time we were there the water level was so low, trucks carrying supplies drove on the river bottom to the makeshift docks. Unloading and loading cargo and carrying it between the vehicles and ships were accomplished by bangbang men.
Our last port of call on the Yangtze River was Chongqing (pronounced Chung king). It is perched on steep hills at the confluence of the Yangtze and its major tributary, the Jialing River. This mountain city was the capital of China during World War II. Outside of China most people haven’t even heard of Chongqing, and for those that have, it barely registers in their minds as a major metropolis. However, Chongqing is the largest city in China and is the fastest-growing urban center on the planet. Its population is rapidly approaching 40 million. Each year a half million more peasants from the poor outlying areas of China arrive in search of a better life.
Nestled between the port and the commercial center of the city is a poor district known as Qiansimen. It is the home of a distinct and unique population. That is the bangbang army, a 100,000-strong crew of porters who bear the city’s weight on their shoulders. Arriving from the countryside with no skills and minimal education, they pick up the cheapest of tools - a bamboo pole (or bangbang) and some rope, and hang around the docks, the markets and the bus stations waiting for goods to carry up the steep slopes of this mountainous port city. They are a prime example of the growing gap between the “haves” and “have-nots” in China.
We first observed “bangbang men” as we disembarked the ship. The water level behind the Three Gorges Dam had been lowered in advance of the rainy season. It looked as if it was a coastal river at low tide. This forced ships to moor a long way from the banks of the river. Makeshift docks were created by placing barges end to end from the deepest part of the river all the way to the edge of the riverbank. As the water level was dropped the barges became grounded. At the time we were there the water level was so low, trucks carrying supplies drove on the river bottom to the makeshift docks. Unloading and loading cargo and carrying it between the vehicles and ships were accomplished by bangbang men.
We had to walk a long distance
from the ship along these makeshift docks where passengers and cargo used the
same narrow walkway to and from the ships and shore. It provided the
opportunity for us to observe bangbang men at their toils up close. The amount
of weight they carried was phenomenal.
Once we reached the banks of
the river we then had to climb many stairs to where our tour buses were parked.
Our bus ride through the city
took about an hour. It provided us a good overview of this mega city; and we
were snapping photos all the way. It was pretty obvious the city was going
through growing pains. In addition to the upscale areas there were many areas
of the less fortunate along with areas that hadn‘t yet been modernized. It was
a fascinating learning process for us. We had to laugh at the quagmire in the
following photo.
Sidewalk shops sold everything imaginable from
household goods to baked items and produce. This next photo also shows yet
another means of transporting a heavy load of goods by “man power.”
There were numerous sidewalk
eating establishments and were they ever popular with the locals. The food
looked good and appeared to be mostly rice dishes.
A highlight for us was being
able to see the location where the “Flying Tigers” were based. For those
unfamiliar, Flying Tigers was the popular name of the 1st American
Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force in 1941-1942. The pilots were United
States Army, Navy, and Marine Corps personnel, recruited under presidential
sanction and commanded by Claire Lee Chennault. The ground crew and support
staff were likewise mostly recruited from the U.S. military, along with some
civilians. The group consisted of three fighter squadrons with about 20
aircraft each. The famous shark-tooth insignia on the noses of their P-40’s was
known around the world. Their mission was defending China against Japanese
forces before the American entry into World War II.
Following lunch our next destination was the Chongqing Zoo and their giant panda bear exhibits. To our delight we got there right at their daily feeding time. Zoo keepers took bundles of approximately 8-foot long pieces of bamboo into each panda’s enclosure. They broke a few pieces in half before leaving the entire bundle. We asked why they broke a few pieces. The answer was it helps some pandas in stripping the fibrous outside off the bamboo shoot.
Following lunch our next destination was the Chongqing Zoo and their giant panda bear exhibits. To our delight we got there right at their daily feeding time. Zoo keepers took bundles of approximately 8-foot long pieces of bamboo into each panda’s enclosure. They broke a few pieces in half before leaving the entire bundle. We asked why they broke a few pieces. The answer was it helps some pandas in stripping the fibrous outside off the bamboo shoot.
From what we observed the
pandas had absolutely no problem in breaking and stripping the shoots. They sat
on their haunches, grabbed a piece of bamboo, and held it horizontally with
both paws. In between their paws they would bite and snap it. The dexterity of
their paws amazed us. Then they peeled off the outside of the shoot before
eating the center. We had a great time watching them. In the following photo
you can see the stripped off pieces lying on the bear’s belly.
At the zoo we encountered the
first and only piece of graffiti that we saw during our visit to China. Many
shoots in a bamboo patch were carved with Chinese characters. In our eyes many
of them almost looked like works of art--don’t have a clue what they were
saying.
Speaking of art, at the zoo we
also visited the Art Institute. There were some amazing works that crossed many
different mediums--oils, watercolors, sculpting, etc. Many artists were working
on projects while we were there. They were fascinating to watch. In the
following photo the girl is painting flowers on the inside of a tiny bottle.
The brush she is using has a single hair attached to the end at a ninety degree
angle--talk about a steady hand!
This guy is sculpting a piece
of jade. The area around Chongqing is the only place in China where green &
purple jade is found. Miss Barb found her a green & purple jade turtle that
she just couldn’t live without. It was kind of neat being able to see the
artist that created it.
We thoroughly enjoyed our
short visit to Chongqing. The only negative thing that happened was that Dave’s
camera failed. It was a lense focusing issue that couldn’t be repaired. It’s a
good thing that we each carried a backup camera with us. Our next destination
was the Chongqing Airport where we caught a flight to Xian. This is where we
were to see the Terra Cotta Army, but more about that later.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns