“There are 3 jobs that young people are most reluctant to do: blacksmith, boater and tofu maker.”

As a popular seventies saying went, Wang Jian, who was assigned by the government to work as a sailor at the Shanghai Ferry Service Company (SFSC) in 1972 together with my grandfather, was not quite satisfied with his job. Sailing on a ferry boat, according to him, was too tiring and dirty a job for a high school graduate. The history of the Shanghai ferry service can be traced back to 1911, when Sun Yat-sen established the Republic of China, and the Shanghai ferry had long been the only way to travel across the Huangpu River before the 1970s. [caption id="attachment_3021" align="alignleft" width="400"]

The Shanghai Ferry in the 1930s.[/caption] One can imagine the harsh working conditions of ferries in 1970s: everything in the workshop at the ferry company was covered by engine oil, which made the workplace smell as if tons of gasoline barrels had just been spilled. However, millions of passengers going from home to work might have been the biggest problem Wang Jian had to deal with every morning. The headquarters of the SFSC were located near Zhaojiabang Road, and the ferry port where Wang worked was on Wusong Road, one of the largest among the 22 ferry ports located along the Huangpu River. Today, crossing by ferry has become as easy as taking a bus or subway. However, according to Wang Jian, crossing the Huangpu River in the 1980s was like a fierce battle. Since there was hardly enough room for everyone on the ferry, it was common for people to hold up their bicycles or motorcycles over the head in order to cram into the ferry. Therefore, quarrels and conflicts were inevitable. What’s more, some people chose to climb up onto the roof for air and more room while the ferry was rocking in the water, which made people falling into the Huangpu river a daily occurrence. During foggy days, police were always needed to keep order in the hundred-meter-long queue waiting for the ferries. Stealing, fighting, and angry quarrels could be seen and heard every day. Facing these situations, staff undoubtedly felt pressure beyond imagination. According to Wang, his salary was far less than that of a bus driver when he began working at the ferry company. Despite so-called “water subsidies,” only 5 jiao (0.5 yuan) was paid every month, in addition to a 4 yuan bonus at the end of each year. According to Jian, “I couldn’t sleep well at first. I felt like I was shouting all day long to my passengers, to my colleagues, and eventually to my friends. Staying in that noisy place, you just can’t keep calm easily.” However, there did exist some unique advantages of being a part of the ferry service. As most factories in the city needed to transport their employees as well as goods by ferry every morning, the relationship between those factories and the ferry company could bring some material benefits to the ferry staff. At that time, in addition to workers, cars and trucks also needed to be transported. “Every ferry could only take 14 vehicles at one time, which meant that a car from the Yangpu waterworks (which was then providing one quarter of tap water daily used by Shanghai residents) had to queue up for at least 3 hours to cross the Huangpu river.” Back in the 1970s there were no private cars, and all cars were owned and used by state-owned factories. The need to transport vehicles and goods across the Huangpu River made the ferry staff quite familiar with local factories. Whenever an employee at the ferry company needed a car for personal purposes, such as a wedding, all the person needed to do was to ask one of those factories for a favor. If they were lucky enough, a truck might also be available. Ferry staff were able to remain unaffected by the shortages of goods even when the country was going through economic hardships caused by the planned economy. Since many merchandise such as cigarettes, refrigerators, and fans were all transported by ferries, ferry staff usually had easier access to these items than ordinary people. Wang’s wedding ceremony was held with the help of a local factory that worked with the ferries. Here one encounters an interesting facet of the Chinese culture: people place much emphasis on their relationships with one another, which eventually makes society ruled by people more than rules. This unique way that Chinese live is usually attributed as the prime reason for the rampant corruption and nepotism that occurs in Chinese society as compared to the Western world, but the concept of relationships-first has been passed from generation to generation and comprises the foundations of the whole mental world of anything traditionally Chinese. Confucianism may be the best example of this (Confucianism is the doctrine elucidated by the great educator Confucius, known by some as the spiritual leader of all Chinese). Almost every aspect of Chinese life can be explained by the notion of relationships-first, including the way we make friends, treat guests and get along with our big families. My grandfather quit his job at the ferry company and became a middle school teacher in the 1980s, but Wang didn’t. His 30-year job experience made him a veteran in the SFSC. Recalling the old days of working at the ferry company, he says:

“I would say the ferry has become part of my life and memory, both the mess of the past and the elegance it offers today symbolizes the city I’m living in.”

When it comes to the influence brought by the development of the city on ferries, he says, “No country in the world can compare with China when it comes to the great changes, and no city can be as amazing as Shanghai.” Today, the ferry service has been rendered less important as cross-river tunnels, bridges, buses, and the metro system now provide easier means to commute between both sides of the Huangpu River. The shortage of young staff also poses a significant threat to the service. In order to survive and improve itself, the ferry company has tried to revive the ferry service by emphasizing its historical as well as modern value. In 2003 and 2004, several ferries featuring Ming and Qing dynasty decorations were put into use, and after that, a series of ferries with ancient China decorations came into view. To meet the need of 2010 Shanghai EXPO, SFSC took charge of the construction of 22 new ferries which took tourists directly to Expo Park. Nowadays, these ferries have added a lively atmosphere to the Huangpu River. To experience the ferry service, I took a ferry trip myself. The moment I stepped on the ferry, breathing in the warm and cozy air surrounding me, hearing the old Shanghai music being played from time to time, and holding an ice cream in my hand, I could feel the city gazing at me. The ferry is only a small window reflecting the exciting changes happening in this city everyday. I don’t know where the ferry service will go tomorrow, but that’s not the question we should worry about; that’s the business of time and history. As Wang Jian says:

“The city has its memory on those big ferries, and that’s enough. I will remember it, you will remember it, and Shanghai will always remember it.”

This article was written by Emma Tao. Send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: Emma Tao, Virtual Shanghai