Perseverance on the shoulder: the story of a porter on Mount Tai

Shouldering two baskets of eggs and vegetables, Geng slogs his way up to the top of the mountain. From time to time, Geng shifts the pole between shoulders and wipes his brow with the towel around his neck.53-year-old Geng is one of the porters on Mount Tai in eastern China's Shandong province. He is a thin but vigorous man with a permanent tan, black hair, and a printed cotton vest with a sketch of stairs and the South Heaven Gate, a landmark at the end of the long steps at the top of Mount Tai.