Shoulders of Bamboo: The Vanishing Bangbang Army of Chongqing

Walk through the humid, concrete corridors of the Chaotianmen (朝天门) wholesale markets, and you will hear them before you see them. It is a sharp, rhythmic tapping. The sound of green bamboo poles hitting the wet stone steps.

Then, you see the men. They are usually older, in their fifties or sixties, their faces lined and weather-beaten from years of sun. They wear faded undershirts, often draped over their shoulders to catch the sweat, and cheap rubber-soled shoes that grip the slick stone. On their shoulders rests a thick bamboo pole (棒棒, bàngbàng), worn smooth by decades of friction. Two green nylon ropes dangle from either end.

These are Chongqing's Bangbang Men (棒棒们, bàngbàngmen)—popularly known as the "Bangbang Army." For generations, they have served as the human engine of Chongqing’s trade. They carry the city's goods up the steep sandstone staircases that climb from the river docks to the shopping districts above.

Chongqing’s geography created this profession. Built on steep cliffs at the junction of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers, the city was historically impassable for wheeled vehicles. Ships unloaded tons of cargo at the docks at the bottom of the cliffs, but there were no roads to carry the goods to the top—only thousands of steep, stone steps. The Bangbang Men stepped into the gap. Armed with nothing but their physical strength and a bamboo pole, they carried crates of vegetables, rolls of fabric, construction materials, and household furniture up the cliffs, one load at a time.

At their peak in the 1980s and 1990s, when China’s economic reforms flooded the cities with rural migrants, the Bangbang Army numbered over 200,000. They gathered at the docks, outside bus stations, and in front of wholesale markets, waiting for work. A nod of the head, a quick negotiation over a few Renminbi, and the porter would secure a load, bind it with his nylon ropes, hoist the bamboo pole onto his calloused shoulder, and set off up the stairs.

Today, their numbers are shrinking rapidly. Modern Chongqing is a city of highways, cargo elevators, light rail systems, and digital delivery apps. Heavy trucks carry shipping containers directly to logistics hubs, bypassing the river docks. Delivery drivers on electric scooters zip down paved alleys, carrying packages that once would have been tied to a bamboo pole.

The porters who remain are aging. You will still find them sitting on the steps outside the Chaotianmen market buildings, their poles resting across their knees, smoking cheap cigarettes and watching the crowds. When a merchant needs a heavy roll of winter coats moved through a narrow corridor where handcarts cannot fit, they call for a bangbang. The old porter hoists a load that weighs as much as he does, his legs shaking slightly as he finds his footing on the stairs. He moves with a slow, swaying rhythm, his breathing heavy in the damp air.

To see the Bangbang Men today is to witness the final years of a trade that helped build the city. They represent the grit and resilience of Southwest China's working class. In a city that now prides itself on slick monorails and glistening office towers, these men are a quiet reminder of the muscle and bone that carved Chongqing out of the cliffs.

Practical Beats

• Where to Observe Them: The best place to see the remaining Bangbang Men at work is around the Chaotianmen Wholesale Markets (朝天门市场). Take Chongqing Metro Line 1 to Chaotianmen Station, and walk toward the clothing and textile market buildings. The markets are active daily from 08:00 to 17:00, with the peak hustle occurring in the morning.
• Culture and Respect: The Bangbang Men are working professionals. If you wish to photograph them, do so from a respectful distance without blocking their path on the narrow staircases. They carry heavy loads and cannot easily stop or swerve.
• Visiting Chaotianmen: Admission to the market area is free. It is a lively, crowded merchant district filled with street food stalls, wholesale shops, and historic stone steps leading down to the river confluence.