Rickshaws And Modern Suzhou Urban Society

With the advancement of modernization,a new type of transportation-rickshaw has appeared in Suzhou City,and rickshaw has played an important role in the urban transportation of Suzhou.Rickshaw drivers and industry related people make up a huge group.Rickshaws have influenced all aspects of modern Suzhou urban society to a certain extent.This paper examines the state of Suzhou rickshaw industry in detail,analyzes the significance of rickshaws to Suzhou urban society from multiple perspectives,and is divided into three parts.The first part grasps the general situation of modern Suzhou rickshaw industry as a whole.At the beginning of the 20 th century,rickshaws appeared in Suzhou as a new type of transportation.The streets in the city were narrow and the bridges were mostly arch bridges,which were not suitable for rickshaws.With the further renovation of urban roads,rickshaws were able to pass through the city.Due to its convenience and the government’s demand for rickshaw donations,the number of rickshaws has greatly increased in a few years and has become the most common means of transportation in Suzhou City.The Rickshaw Merchants Association,the Rickshaw Drivers’ Union,and the government are the managers.The Industrial Tour Donation Bureau and the Wuxian Construction Bureau are responsible for the issuance of rickshaw donation licenses and vehicle inspection and registration at different times.The second part deeply investigates a series of disputes and problems in Suzhou urban society after rickshaw appeared in Suzhou.The issue of the entry of rickshaws into the city has aroused debates among all parties.As an autonomous organization,Suzhou Public Welfare Office involves many interests,and it is difficult to form a unified opinion on the entry of rickshaws into the city,which makes the process of opening to traffic twists and turns.There is an inherent conflict of interest between the rickshaw dealer and the driver,and labor disputes often occur.Before the establishment of the professional rickshaw trade union,the organization of the drivers was loose,and the labor conflict was fierce.During the period of the Nationalist government,the professional trade union of the rickshaw industry was established.The rent issue has been resolved through consultation,the way of struggle has become more relaxed,the government’s leading capacity has been enhanced,and the level of urban social governance has been further improved.In the conflict between the bus and the rickshaw,the rickshaw drivers and the rickshaw dealers,who were on opposite sides in the past,faced such a crisis of survival and chose to stand on the same front,which hindered the process of passing buses in Suzhou.The third part investigates the impact of rickshaw on Suzhou’s urban social life.As the number of rickshaws increased,so did the number of drivers.A large number of bankrupt peasants entered the city to make a living,and together with the urban poor,they formed a large group of rickshaw drivers.Pulling rickshaws became an important means of making a living for them.There were a lot of disputes between the coachman and the coachman,and between the coachman and other citizens.As a means of transportation,rickshaws not only facilitate people’s travel,but also enrich people’s daily life and change people’s travel concept.As a new type of transportation,the emergence of rickshaws has also affected the urban construction of Suzhou.In order to meet the needs of rickshaws,the process of urban construction in Suzhou has been accelerated,especially the construction of bridges and road reconstruction.The further improvement of road construction has also created conditions for the opening of a new type of transportation,the bus.