3-053-534 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Sketches in China and Japan: a sanpan at Shanghai, 1873. 'Our Special Artist, Mr. Simpson, writes as follows upon the Shanghai passenger-boat, which is called a sanpan, and which is the subject of one of his sketches: "On reaching Shanghai and going...on board a sanpan, I was much struck to find the inside of the slight awning of mats, which is peculiar to these boats, neatly covered with cuttings from the illustrated newspapers, the Illustrated London News and Punch being the greatest favourites. In fact, so addicted are the Chinamen to these two journals, one might suppose that all the sanpans on the Woosung river were hired as advertising mediums, in the same way that omnibuses and railway carriages are in England...they were pictures of a tolerably late date, the paper all clean and fresh, and neatly pasted on. The boatmen seem proud of them, and are pleased when the passenger takes notice of what is manifestly an evidence of taste on their part. There are many hundreds of these boats on the rivers, and I doubt if there is one that is not decorated as here described...A circular cover, formed of hoops and matting, is over the seat for the passenger in the centre...These sanpans are kept very clean...a cushion and red cloth form the seat'. From "Illustrated London News", 1873.