From China Daily:
In the mountains of Southwest China, where the unforgiving terrain can often make transport difficult, “stick soldiers” – migrant laborers hired to carry heavy goods – still provide a vital service in this densely populated city.
Carrying just a sturdy bamboo stick and a coil of thick green plastic, Gui Laiyun wanders the streets every day from dusk until dawn looking for work.
“Getting started is easy,” said the 52-year-old. “Five yuan for the stick, five yuan for the cord.”
Customers hire Gui to carry anything from furniture and huge bags of rice to electrical appliances like refrigerators. Each time, he firmly attaches the cargo to his stick using the green cord and then balances it on his right shoulder as he tramps along streets, down alleyways and up stairs.
“I charge between 2 and 10 yuan, depending on the distance I carry the goods,” he told China Daily. “On a good day I can earn almost 100 yuan.”
However, good days are hard to come by lately, especially as more people flock to the city from surrounding villages. Most of them have little education, making manual work their only option.
