Chongqing - Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality has a unique "Basket Line", as a group of elderly people take the Rail Transit Line 4 to the city center with baskets on their backs to sell vegetables every day.
At 6:32 am on April 3rd, the Chongqing Rail Transit Line 4, known as the "Basket Line," begins its bustling day. (Photo/Liu Li)
In suits and carrying briefcases, they stand next to mud-stained canvas shoes with a basket on their backs. At 6:32 in the morning, Chongqing's "Basket Line" begins its busy day, and early risers meet unexpectedly.
Worried that the baskets might get the "briefcases" dirty, those wearing "canvas shoes" try to stay out of the way. Conversely, the "briefcase" carriers step forward to help those in canvas shoes through the security check. Each encounter between a basket and a briefcase unfolds into a beautiful story as they journey forward together.
On April 3, at the Shichuan station of Chongqing Rail Transit Line 4, vegetable growers Luo Guangming (right) and his wife Qian Fang prepare to sell cauliflower and vegetable seedlings in Longxing. (Photo/Liu Li)
On April 3rd, at the Shichuan station of Chongqing Rail Transit Line 4, station security helps Luo Guangming bring vegetable seedlings into the station. (Photo/Liu Li)
81-year-old Bao Shaohuan and her 84-year-old spouse Feng Zhongfu got up at 4 am to prepare. On April 3, the day of the Longxing town market, they took the "Basket Line" to sell their blood oranges. The oranges had a bumper harvest, piling into a "small mountain" at home.
The elderly couple said, "Our children have their own families and lives. We can still move around; why should we become a burden to them?"
On April 3, in Gekou Village, Shichuan Town, Yubei District, 81-year-old Bao Shaohuai (left) and her 84-year-old spouse Feng Zhongfu are preparing to sell blood oranges. That day was the market day in Longxing Town, where they planned to take the "Basket Line" to sell blood oranges. (Photo/Liu Li)
On April 3, in Gekou Village, Shichuan Town, Yubei District, with her spouse Feng Zhongfu leading the way carrying a load, Bao Shaohuai follows closely behind with a basket on her shoulder, heading to the Huangling station of Chongqing Rail Transit Line 4 to take the "Basket Line" to Longxing to sell blood oranges. (Photo/Liu Li)
On April 3, at the Huangling station of Chongqing Rail Transit Line 4, 81-year-old Bao Shaohuai (left) and her 84-year-old spouse Feng Zhongfu prepare to take the "Basket Line" to Longxing to sell blood oranges. (Photo/Liu Li)
On April 3, in Gekou Village, Shichuan Town, Yubei District, 81-year-old Bao Shaohuai shows her senior citizen card. (Photo/Liu Li)
At 5:30 am, 68-year-old Huang Jiguo arrived at the Shichuan station with his basket full of vegetables, carefully cradling his eggs. With basketfuls of vegetables and eggs, Huang Jiguo raised his younger brother's two children.
On April 3, in Gekou Village, Shichuan Town, Yubei District, Huang Jiguo collects eggs from the henhouse, preparing to take the rail transit to the market. (Photo/Liu Li)
Recently, some netizens suggested that the "Basket Line" should prohibit passengers from carrying vegetable baskets during the morning rush hour, as it "might occupy too much space and cause inconvenience to other passengers." Chongqing Rail Transit quickly responded: as long as the items and behavior are in compliance with regulations, they will not interfere. This response won widespread approval from netizens.
The "Basket Line" in Chongqing is more than just a subway route; it embodies the city's spirit of hard work, kindness, and progress. Through the daily journeys of its elderly vendors, it highlights a community that values inclusivity and the warmth of human connection, painting a vivid picture of a city moving forward together with grace and resilience.
(Ren Xiaoyu, as an intern, also contributed to this article.)
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