In Chongqing, China, the 'bangbang' porters are no longer in demand
The 'bangbang' porters in Chongqing, China, are no longer in high demand due to changes in the city's landscape and economy. These porters, who carry goods and luggage on bamboo poles, have become a symbol of the city, but their services are now less needed. The city's unique topography, with steep lanes and alleys, once made the porters indispensable, but this is no longer the case.
- ▪The 'bangbang' porters in Chongqing, China, have become a symbol of the city, known for carrying goods and luggage on bamboo poles.
- ▪The porters were once indispensable due to the city's unique topography, with steep lanes and alleys.
- ▪The decline in demand for the porters is likely due to changes in the city's economy and infrastructure.
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LETTER FROM CHONGQING Workers carry information panels, Chongqing, China, July 31, 2025. GO NAKAMURA/REUTERS Yang Qianhua had a slow day. He spent most of it waiting for someone to need his help, but on this May afternoon, no one did. Like him, a few other men waited, sitting on the sidewalk of a street just East of the Yangtze River. Some passed the time playing cards. Gambling is technically forbidden, but for such small stakes, the authorities look the other way, and these men have become part of the landscape, their bamboo poles resting against the wall. The porters have become a symbol of Chongqing, a sprawling metropolis in western China famous for its verticality.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Le Monde (EN).
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