Living in a ferry tale

Zhuang Jianmin has been running passengers across the Grand Canal for two decades, but times are changing

Early one chilly morning in December, the tranquility of Banpu village was shattered by the crack of a diesel motor. It is a sound that residents here have been waking up to for decades.

The sound marks the start of another working day for Zhuang Jianmin, who operates a ferry across a branch of the Grand Canal in Ningbo, Zhejiang province.

Every day, he transports commuters and any other passengers looking to cross a 200-meter-wide section of the waterway.

"Hold on. Here we go," Zhuang shouts to his passengers as he sets off. "Caution is the parent of safety," he adds after the boat has left the bank. "After all, the passengers entrust their lives to me."

The Banpu Ferry has been running for 150 years. It costs no more than 2 yuan (30 cents) and takes just five minutes to complete its journey. The only alternative for those wanting to cross the canal is to walk 30 kilometers to use a nearby bridge.

Zhuang took over the ferry service 22 years ago. A lot has changed in that time. "When I first did this job, there were about 600 passengers a day. Now there are about 100," he says, adding that much of that traffic is in the morning.

He says he is happy that technology is making life more convenient for people and that more people can now afford cars, but he knows, sooner or later, it will mean his ferry will ultimately be consigned to history.

1. Zhuang Jianmin has been piloting the Banpu Ferry since the early 1990s.

2. Passengers load their belongings on the boat before setting off.

3. Zhuang shows off his certificate to run the ferry service.

4. A passenger buys a ticket. Although tickets cost more than when he started 22 years ago, Zhuang says his income is lower.

5. The ferry is a boon for locals who need to walk 30 kilometers to reach the nearest bridge.

6. The ferry has been crossing the Grand Canal near Ningbo for 150 years.

7. As another day draws to an end, Zhuang prepares to make his last run.

(China Daily European Weekly 01/08/2016 page4)