1 / 3   A Beijing-born girl who used to study in the US, Italy and the UK, and who has attained a graduate degree, came back to her home city and became a member of rickshaw pullers in Houhai, one of the most popular and interesting places in Beijing. /VCG photo

2 / 3   During the 19th century, rickshaw pulling became an inexpensive, popular mode of transportation across Asia. The runners, representing a symbol of oppression of the working class in China, have also attracted attentions from influential writers in that period. Rickshaw Boy, written by Chinese author Laoshe and considered as a classic of 20th-century Chinese literature, talked about a fictional rickshaw runner's life in Beijing. /VCG photo

3 / 3   In China, from ancient time to the 19th century, rich people were transported by sedan chairs. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, both the rickshaw as well as sedan chairs were eliminated. The re-emerging of the rickshaw in China is popular among tourists now. /VCG photo.