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Dying breed: Chongqing’s iconic porters struggle for relevance as economy shifts
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Once a common sight in the city, porters have been increasingly phased out by delivery riders and improvements to Chongqing’s transport system.
ST PHOTO: AW CHENG WEI
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CHONGQING – At the Chaotianmen ports next to Chongqing’s iconic Raffles City mall, around two dozen porters – known locally as bang bang jun – hang around roadsides and the docks, waiting for jobs.
Bang bang refers to the thick bamboo poles the porters hoist on their shoulders, with the goods they transport – such as cruise passengers’ luggage or boxes of clothings and trinkets to be sold at a nearby wholesale centre – balanced on them.
