The bangbang porters of Chongqing, who for decades carried goods up the city's stairs, are seeing their trade disappear with modernization. The government promotes technological efficiency but offers no job alternatives to these manual workers. Progress is celebrated while those who built the informal economy that sustained the city are abandoned. The social hypocrisy is evident: the city advances, but leaves many behind without safety nets.
Drones and platforms replace human strength 🚁
The implementation of logistics systems with drones and delivery apps has reduced the demand for porters. Chongqing, with its rugged topography, finds an efficient solution for light cargo transport in automation. However, the transition does not include training for the bangbang, who lack digital skills. The local government could implement job retraining programs and temporary subsidies, as has been done in other Chinese cities. Without these measures, the human cost of modernization falls on the most vulnerable, while technology advances unrelentingly.
Progress that does not carry its own history 🏛️
Now, the bangbang watch as a drone does in minutes what took them hours, sweat, and calluses. The curious thing is that no one asked them if they wanted to retire early. The city boasts of efficiency, but no one mentions those men who carried refrigerators up impossible stairs. Perhaps the next step is to install a plaque in their honor, right next to the drone charging station. Sure, let it be pretty, because as for work, there is none left.