Yunnan (China), several sampans on the Yangtze River

Yunnan Province, China 1943 - 1945A misty morning on the Yangtze. Construction of these boats is typical of the sampans in the area. They drew very little water; they could skim across shallow areas. They used the big poles to push them through shallow water and then in deeper water used a big paddle which was moved left to right for propulsion. These people remained river people for the remainder of their lives. The sampans transported materials and people. The rivers of China were its highways.GrayscaleBox