Getting Stuff From Here to There

All three photographs were taken in Jiangkou, about 60 km
away from my city. Jiangkou means "River Mouth", or
"where the river begins."

Chinese people have the strongest bodies in the world. Moving stuff in this country often means using your body to do the work, regardless of the item. Strong backs are the backbone (pun intended) of getting things done.

I see everything carried on people's backs. The man, at left, is moving a new wooden table to its new home. I'm guessing that table is destined for a restaurant since it looks just like the tables I see in most of restaurants in this part of China. This man probably just finished putting it together in his shop and is delivering it to his customer. He carries it alone, and he walks quickly. No one on the street around him bats an eye, as this is so common. The foreigner (that would be me) is the only one taking notice.

Babies moving around in baskets is also very common. Parents and grandparents carry their precious cargo in wicker baskets on their backs, leaving their hands free to carry produce home or push vending carts to that day's sales location. This toddler wasn't in the mood to sit inside his basket the right way. Instead, he was balancing his little bottom on the very edge of the basket. His mother didn't seem to mind, speaking to the balancing abilities of her and her son.

Never underestimate what wicker baskets are capable of supporting. They are often used to carry more than babies. They are also filled with heaps of pencil-thin spring onions or baseball-sized radishes. Sometimes, they even carry home new TVs, as you can see in the third photograph. The TV doesn't fit inside the basket, but it will fit on top of the basket, with the help of some strategically tied string.