The Second Porter of Bashan

In the early 1990s, deep in the Daba Mountains of northeastern Sichuan, seventeen-year-old Li Qingshan takes up the carrying frame and pole his father left behind, becoming the youngest porter on the Micang Trail. Setting out from the ancient town of Enyang, he carries goods along the thousand-year-old Micang Road, passing Qifeng Bridge, Zhanghuai Mountain, Yinling Mountain, and Nankang Slope. He heads north to the Nuoshui River and Guangwu Mountain, then leaves via Guangyuan and crosses the Qinling Mountains. Amid towering peaks, he measures the hardships of survival with his back and waters the seeds of his dreams with sweat.

From carrying a load alone to forming the Porter Transport Team; from hauling goods by human and horse to buying trucks and starting a freight business; from freight work to opening a shop, then from shopkeeping to founding Bazhong's first logistics company, Li Qingshan spends fifteen years forging a legendary path from mountain trails to prosperity.

Along the way, his tangled relationships with three women form another winding journey of the heart. His childhood sweetheart, Yang Yaomei, waits for his return on Qifeng Bridge. Zhao Wan'er, the daughter of a tea merchant in the old town, gives him his first startup funds. And Lin Yue Ru, a volunteer teacher, makes him understand what a true home is when he has already achieved success.

The thousand-year-old Micang Road, the Enyang River at dawn and dusk. The porter's story is a portrait of an era: those who carried the Bashan Mountains on their shoulders ultimately became mountains themselves.