About This Site – Taishan porters

This site is a field record documenting the mountain porters of Mount Tai — a vanishing profession. From its historical origins and shifting workforce numbers, to the economics behind rising wages, whether technology can replace human labor, and firsthand accounts from two current porters, this project attempts to present a complete picture of where this group stands today.

Information

On-site interviews with two current Mount Tai porters (Master Lu, Master Wang), conducted at the Zhongtianmen loading point and dormitory

Field visits and interviews with Shandong UBTECH Intelligent Robotics Co., Ltd.

Workforce figures sourced from the Shandong Provincial Party History Research Institute, the Mount Tai Scenic Area Management Committee, The Paper (Pengpai News), Dazhong.com, and oral history from porter team leader Zhao Pingjiang

Inflation-adjusted figures are estimated based on overall CPI trends published by China’s National Bureau of Statistics; readers should verify against official annual CPI data before formal citation