Chinese Tourist Ride in Litter, Palaquin or Sedan Chair

Photos by Debbie Stock

Some countries have outlawed palaquin rides and rickshaws. In China you often find them around tourist destinations. A litter, also known as a palaquin or sedan chair, is a human-powered wheelless vehicle for the transport of persons in the form of open chairs or small rooms on a platform borne upon the shoulders of two or more people. To most efficiently carry a litter, porters either place the carrying poles directly on their shoulders or use a yoke to transfer the load from the carrying poles to the shoulders.

While I've heard them described as rides for people who are too lazy to climb stairs, I did not see these offered at The Great Wall where the stair climbing can be daunting.

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