 Loading and unloading by labor power are the most traditional and primitive practices that are still in use at the docks in the Three Gorges region. As the water level of the Three Gorges reservoir rises, the several dozens of docks in the region were all submerged and relocated. At the new docks, labor power is being gradually replaced by machinery in loading and unloading.
This primitive way of loading and unloading is still evident on the Wujiang River, a tributary of the Yangtze River in the Three Gorges region.
The ancient town of Gongtan is said to be over 1,700 years old. It used to be a goods distribution center for Sichuan, Hubei, Hunan and Guizhou provinces. It was also a center for the transport of Sichuan salt. There were numerous salt shops and other firms in Gongtan. It was a very prosperous town with over 7,000 porters and boat trackers.
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