Editor's Note:
The Grand Canyon Scenic Spot in the Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Central China’s Hubei Province, is famous for its beautiful natural scenery, plunging waterfall and arduous ascent.
It is rated as a 5A scenic spot, the highest possible rating in China, and has recently given birth to a new line of work for hardy entrepreneurs: carrying children up the slopes in bamboo baskets. The first porters arrived back in 2012, with a total of 34 porters currently working in the area. The majority of the porters are female, with the four male porters specializing in carrying children weighing more than 80 kilograms.
In the peak season from May to August, a porter can earn as much as 3,000 yuan ($449) a month. In 2015, a company was registered for managing all porters working in the scenic spot, regulating the business and guaranteeing the safety of children.
Photos: CFP
A child is all smiles as he sits in the bamboo basket of his female porter, at the Enshi Grand Canyon Scenic Spot on September 10. In the peak season from May to August, a porter can earn as much as 3,000 yuan a month. 
A porter holds a sleeping child in her arms at the scenic spot on September 10. 
A child smells a flower that she picked from the roadside while “climbing” the mountain in the bamboo basket of her female porter. 
A male porter eats a bowl of noodles for lunch at the scenic spot on September 10. 
A porter, holding a sleeping child, takes a rest on a bench. 
A tourist wipes the sweat away from her child’s forehead during a break. 
A porter sits beside his sedan chair, waiting for clients. The sedan chair business took a hit with the introduction of the cheaper child-carrying alternative. 
A tourist tries her hand at carrying a child in a bamboo basket. 
Two porters share a conversation on the slopes.
