Apr 11, 2026
The Warm "Basket Ferry" on the Yangtze
At dawn, mist covers the Yangtze River in Zhongxian, Chongqing.Uncle Chen carries a heavy basket — waiting for the Yu Zhong Ke 2180 ferry.Uncle Chen is a vegetable farmer.He gets up at 3 or 4 a.m. to pick fresh vegetables.This ferry is the most convenient way for him to get to town to sell vegetables, and it departs at 7 a.m. daily.
The ticket is only a couple of yuan, unchanged for a long time.Also，The ferry offers free breakfast for all farmers, because they get up so early to pick vegetables and rush to the dock that they have no time to eat before boarding.Uncle Chen smiles: “It’s cheap and warm!”The ferry carries vegetables, hopes and the care from kind people.Captain Qin has kept sailing for 29 years as a third-generation boatman.Now, the new Yu Zhong Ke 2180 has set sail. It is safer and equipped with air conditioning, yet the ticket price remains exactly the same. And the captain’s promise still holds: “As long as you need me, I will keep sailing.”
This is not just a ferry.It carries warmth and hope for ordinary people.China never leaves anyone behind.It means we slow down to care for every hardworking soul.Thank you!