The Engleson Files

You’ll have to forgive me a little while I am on my bike kick here, but one aspect of these bikes that I love so much is just how ingrained they are in Chinese society. Simply put, these bikes are the workhorse and backbone of the blue-collar man in China. For some the bike is their main means of transportation to and from work, while for others it is their main tool for getting the job done and earning a honest living. Much like this guy here: this bike you see (which is also a Yong Jiu) belongs to a traveling beveler who rides up and down the streets with all his tools (and workbench) strapped to his bike. He has a small megaphone attached to advertise that he is in the neighborhood and, just like children to an ice-cream truck, the people then flock out to give him their knives and scissors to sharpen - to which he stops and does the work right there. Each job is usually 1 kuai (15 cents) worth of effort and then once done the traveling beveler packs up all his gear and pedals onto his next destination.