Abstract:  The migration of peasant workers in China are mainly employment-based, and some of them take up an occupation in informal economy. The investigation into the scattered human porterage in Chongqing reveals that rurality inherent in peasants is carried over in human porterage, and reflects the close relations between the particularity of this means of livelihood and the qualifications and needs of practitioners, practitioners′ cultural values and customs and the particular means of livelihood, as well as local citizens′ cultural characteristics and practitioners′ cultural characteristics. These findings provide a new angle to the research of market demand and employment space for porterage in Chongqing.

Key words: “bangbang” porter, means of livelihood, informal employment, peasant worker, rurality