Chongqing — For more than four decades, Zhang Xiqian has operated a small passenger ferry across the Pengxi River, maintaining a vital connection for residents of a remote village in southwest China.
The ferry links Yingxin Village in Huangshi Subdistrict, Yunyang County, with the opposite riverbank. Although the distance is only a few hundred meters in a straight line, the crossing takes roughly 30 minutes because the boat must navigate around a backwater channel in the Three Gorges Reservoir area.
Zhang Xiqian and his wife Deng Shuying help villagers safely board a ferry at a riverside dock in Yunyang County, Chongqing. (Photo/Tan Qiyun, Zhao Tai’an and Wang Xiaoyan)
For villagers, the service is essential, providing access to markets, schools, hospitals, and transport hubs. Zhang, 60, took over the route at age 18 from his father and has operated it continuously since then.
On market days, he ferries residents carrying baskets of vegetables to sell and brings back daily necessities. Outside of scheduled trips, he operates additional crossings on request, often responding to phone calls for urgent transport. He also ferries local students across the river each morning and returns in the evening to take them home.
A ferry carries villagers across the river toward Tongziyuan dock in Yingxin Village, Yunyang County, Chongqing. (Photo/Tan Qiyun, Zhao Tai’an, and Wang Xiaoyan)
The fare has remained unchanged at 3 yuan (about 40 cents) per trip.
In recent years, demand for the service has declined as younger residents leave the village for work, resulting in fewer regular passengers. Operating the route has become increasingly expensive. Zhang’s wife, Deng Shuying, said fuel costs exceed 10,000 yuan (about $1,400) per quarter, and some trips fail to cover basic expenses. Government subsidies have helped keep the service running.
Zhang Xiqian has operated a ferry service for villagers in Yingxin Village for 42 years in Yunyang County, Chongqing. (Photo/Tan Qiyun, Zhao Tai’an and Wang Xiaoyan)
Along the route, Zhang has also become a guardian of a growing heron population nesting on a steep river-facing cliff. The birds, including egrets and grey herons, first appeared about a decade ago and now number in the hundreds during the breeding season.
Herons nest on steep cliffs along the river in Yingxin Village, Huangshi Subdistrict, Yunyang County, Chongqing. (Photo/Tan Qiyun, Zhao Tai’an and Wang Xiaoyan)
Zhang routinely slows the boat when approaching the cliff to minimize disturbance. He sometimes provides food, including small fish and corn, and uses simple tools to help stabilize nests. After heavy rain last year dislodged several nests, Zhang maneuvered the ferry close to the cliff and moved fallen chicks to nearby vegetation so adult birds could locate them.
He has also discouraged passengers from disturbing the nests, helping foster local awareness and protection of the colony.
The vessel, registered as “Yu Yunyang Du 0061,” continues daily crossings despite declining passenger numbers. Zhang waits at the riverbank between trips and responds whenever villagers need to cross.
By evening, he secures the ferry at the Huangshi dock, completing another day of service. Zhang said he intends to continue operating the ferry as long as the community relies on it, maintaining both a transport link and protection for the wildlife along the Pengxi River.