Boats in the South, Horses in the North

In China, there are people who make their living on the rivers. From hauling towlines to piloting boats, they devote their lives to the country's inland shipping industry.

This book follows a boatman named Tang Bingli, who inherits the calling of river transport from his father, a towline hauler, and struggles to go from a small boat to a large vessel.

The rivers Tang Bingli travels are mainly in Jiangsu Province. Centered on Huai'an, a city known as a place where southern boats meet northern horses, his routes cover the Yanhe River, the Jiangsu section of the Grand Canal, the Jiangsu section of the old Yellow River channel that flows into the sea via the Huai River, the Jiangsu section of the Yangtze River, and many other waterways.

The story also touches on rivers in neighboring provinces and regions, including Zhejiang, Anhui, Shanghai, Jiangxi, Hunan, and Hubei.

Life aboard a boat differs greatly from life on land. This novel presents the lives of inland waterway crew members in all their aspects, from what they eat and wear to where they live and how they travel. Through the changes in their way of life, it shows how China's rapid economic development has transformed the lives of inland waterway crews.

By depicting China's inland river communities, the novel reflects the rise of inland shipping and offers a fresh perspective on Jiangsu's rapid development over the past three decades. It also shows how people in the inland shipping industry took part in building a great nation. Through their hard work, these industrious river crews have earned the comfortable lives they enjoy today!