Ex-porter's company provides jobs

His lanky frame and poor eyesight probably made Liu Xiaoxiao, 55, the worst bangbang in Chongqing, but now he's known as the "general of the bangbang army".

In the local dialect, bangbang refers to rural porters who sling freight on bamboo poles, which they hoist on their shoulders. They are a distinctive group known for helping residents carry heavy items in the mountainous port city, which sits on the Yangtze River.

Liu has been running a moving company for 20 years, giving jobs to hundreds of bangbang and providing services that range from helping families relocate to moving cargo.