L450xW100xH150mm, China
Chuan Jiang is upper course of Chang Jiang River running between Si Cuan and Hu Bei. Chuan Jiang was the main route for goods transportation serving the areas around the region. In Qing dynasty with Chong Qing opened up as a port, it also became a major routing for the import and export goods, boats on Chuan Jiang were in their thousands. There are many different kind of boats; boat tracker range from a few to a hundred, each boat tracker’s ranking and task is well defined. The Chun Jiang has a drop in level of more than 120m, hundreds of torrents, invisible reefs and shoals, at each of them the boat trackers would have to disembark the boat and to manually steer or pull the boat to course. To reduce the fiction of the pressure from the rope and their clothing, the boat trackers prefer to work naked. In winter time they will rub their body with a layer of lard to prevent froze bite by the freezing water. Since the introduction of other means of transport and Three Gorges project the necessity of the boat trackers are longer.
Mountain Folkcraft 