Often the child will ham it up, making funny faces at the photographer.  In the photos that follow I tried simply to depict the extraordinary variety and efficiency of Chinese transportation while, at the same time, representing ordinary life in the city.

Only once did I meet objections to my taking a picture.  The photograph shown next is of a poor woman who pushes her three-wheeled vehicle laden with what looks like assorted trash.

It was not the woman who objected—she was unaware of my presence—but an elderly, grey-haired man.  Although he spoke only Chinese, I could tell by his tone of voice, expression, and his wagging finger that he was scolding and admonishing me.  A nearby woman who spoke English explained to me that the man believed I wished to show only the seamy side of China—the poor, the distressed.  I turned to the man and said, "Wu hai Chunguo," which means "I love China," but this did nothing at all to assuage him.

Next we see a gasoline-powered three-wheeled vehicle (sanlunche), a slower competitor of the taxi, taxis being abundant and cheap in all urban areas.

A taxi charges a minimum of 7 yuan, about 80 cents, to carry you a couple of miles in 10 minutes.  A sanlunche may cost the equivalent of 10 cents but may take half an hour or more to reach your destination.

A motorcycle is also a good means of transport. Cycles legally carry at most two people but often take a third, a child who may illegally sit on the driver's lap.