In the past, local people living along the Shennongxi Canyon relied heavily on boat trackers as the traffic was quite limited. Boat trackers had to tow heavy boats along the stoned river bank, often naked, and oared passengers in and out of the valleys. /VCG Photo

The festival also featured a worship ceremony, during which incense was burned and rice wine was offered to the river god for blessings upon tamed weather and transportation safety. /VCG Photo

By the 1980s, new roads were built connecting the secluded valleys and the outside world, and the boat tracker culture gradually disappeared. In order to preserve this old profession, the local government has reemployed boat trackers to tow boats for tourists. /VCG Photo