The first local people our Yangtze cruisers are going to meet are those at the harbor: peddlers, carriers, porters.
Porters would be the first of first to be noticed. They would come to surround you, offering you their help with your bags to your ship, or from ships to the street level. Carrying a bag to walk some distance at the Mountain City, with a lot of steps, is not an easy work for some individual western travelers, instead of group travelers.
Chongqing Night View
The Chongqing people call the porters “Bang Bang Jun” — An Army of Poles. “Jun” means army — They are everywhere, in the city streets, train and bus stations, and ship piers. So they also call the porters “Bang Bang” — use the tool they are using. Not necessarily means discriminating, but it truly shows the humor personality of the Chongqing people, to their “farmer brothers” (a term frequently used by the government).
A “bang bang”
Normal Chongqing residents would not like my putting the “Bang Bang Jun” as the most note position, or representative of Chongqing people, because “Bang Bang Jun” are actually from the suburbs, or countryside. They are supposed to be farmers. Some still are when they are not busy at home — they work seasonally in the city.
Chongqing is part of Sichuan Province before 1997. Sichuan Opera is a local opera popular in Southwest China. The language used is lively, vivid and funny. The masks of the performers possess a unique charm and the artists astonish audiences with their changing masks.
Sichuan Opera
Sichuan Opera – Mask Changing
Dragon Lanterns of Tongliang has a long history, and features huge stage costumes and property. The movements are described as gigantic and everything is on a large scale. Percussion music is provided during firework displays.
Dragon Lanterns of Tongliang
Chongqing Acrobats are famous throughout the world. They won the Golden Lion Award at the 9th World Future Acrobatic Contest and the Silver Lion Award at the China national acrobatic contest.
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