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Top: Li Yongfu (left) and Liu Chunhong are waiting for tourists. They are two of the only eight Beijing natives among the pedicab drivers in the Shichahai area. Above: Tourists are taken to a siheyuan courtyard by the pedicabs. Photos by Wu Kaixiang / For China Daily |
With bells, horns and the typical Beijing burr at the end of their words, pedicab drivers set the rhythm for the tourist hotspots in the capital.
Wearing a Chinese-style cardigan and old cotton shoes, Li Yongfu, 56, waits for sightseers while chatting with his colleagues. About three times a day, he takes visitors around the Shichahai area, the ancient district encompassing the central lakes in Beijing.
Li knows all the famous Taoist and Buddhist temples and all the royal mansions and gardens situated on the sides of the lakes, including the famous mansions belonging to Prince Gong and Prince Chun. Each of his tours takes about an hour, which Li fills with colorful tales of the buildings and alleyways.
A pedicab driver since he was laid-off from a State-owned enterprise 10 years ago, Li has a deep love for his native city and an intimate knowledge of its history, culture and customs.
Being a pedicab driver "is a precious chance to speak to travelers and tell them about Beijing's culture", says Li.
More than 300 pedicab drivers work in the Shichahai area, but only eight of them are native Beijingers. These "Ba Da Ye", or "Eight Masters", are all over 40 years old, and they are poorly paid, taking home just 40 percent of their fare.
"One tour costs the passenger 100 yuan ($16), but 60 yuan of that goes back to the company," says Li.
"We believe Beijing's stories, history and culture should be told by local people, because we have an accurate and deep understanding of them," says Liu Chunhong, another of the Eight Masters.
Although he admits, "Sometimes the passengers tell us something we didn't know."
The Eight Masters have learned some English in order to serve foreign visitors. "Although we can say some simple sentences, we just want to show the Beijing spirit, which is earnest, friendly and passionate," Liu says.
The pedicab first appeared in Beijing in the 1930s. "Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, they were all pulled by a man on foot," says Liu.
But despite the transition to tricycles, few young people want the job. "As with other traditional jobs, nobody chooses to operate a pedicab as a profession, let alone native Beijingers," says Liu.
"We don't object to young people from other parts of the country doing the job, but we earnestly hope that they respect Beijing's culture and provide accurate information."
When the drivers go home, their knees feel the pain, but still they start again the following day. "The pedicab is a living part of Beijing's culture," says Li.
China Features
