We came across a number of coolies on our travels. I was surprise to see they still existed. It can be back-breaking work. In Huangshan, coolies were the only means of transporting wares to the hotels. Food, beverages and everything else (including building materials) were carried up the gondolas from the base of the mountains and then from there by coolie.
According to one coolie, they were paid 5Y per kilo they carried. This fellow said he carried 60k per side or 120K in total. This means they would get paid 600Y per trip. To put that figure in context, we saw job adds for waiters paying 800Y per month. Teachers make 1,500Y per month. The distance they carried this load varied, but I would say 2 km would be the minimum.
Other coolies carried people. This would be a much easier task as the load is carried by 2 people and rarely does a person weigh 120 K.
Coolie carrying his load in Huangshan Mountain Park. This fellow was carrying building materials.
Chairs used to carry people. They carried people so they would be facing backwards. Facing forward would be quite scary I think.
Between jobs: playing games on a cellphone. My son commented that many of these guys carry expensive cellphones, substantiating that a decent income can be got.
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