FERRYTALE: Song Tao and Lin Yu in Shanghai, China

Song Tao and Lin Yu chose to ride the ferries that cross the Huang Pu River in Shanghai in their project called FERRYTALE. Lin Yu writes, “Since both of us lived by the River (right side) during our childhood, and had rich experience, memories and deep emotions to ferries, FERRYTALE was also a tour back to our roots. Moreover, after the day, we believed that it was a tour back to the roots of the city Shanghai as well. It was in early 20th century, when the first ferries and ferry lines on Huang Pu River were designed and put into use, to connect both side of the river, especially for those who were living on the right side, crossing to the left side. Late in the same century, the first bridge on the River was built. By now, there are more than 5 bridges, 4 tunnels and several metro line – crossing the River is easy and quick now, most people are no longer depending on ferries as the only way crossing the River.”

FERRYTALE was a project inspire by Allan Kaprow’s work Travelog. In a single day, 27 April 2008, we, artist Song Tao and journalist Lin Yu, drove to the ferries from north to south along Huang Pu River, took each of the ferry line to cross the River and took pictures during the tour. Since both of us lived by the River (right side) during our childhood, and had rich experience, memories and deep emotions to ferries, FERYYTALE was also a tour back to our roots. Moreover, after the day, we believed that it was a tour back to the roots of the city Shanghai as well. It was in early 20th century, when the first ferries and ferry lines on Huang Pu River were designed and put into use, to connect both side of the river, especially for those who were living on the right side, crossing to the left side. Late in the same century, the first bridge on the River was built. By now, there are more than 5 bridges, 4 tunnels and several metro line – crossing the River is easy and quick now, most people are no longer depending on ferries as the only way crossing the River.

However, ferriage is still living in the city. Some people are still taking ferryboat everyday cross the river in the same way as they did in early 20th century, or in the World War II, or before there were the bridges. At some ferry lines, we find the business are still very busy, while we also find some ferry lines are quiet and almost abandoned.

On a ferryboat or beside a ferry station, we saw people quite deferent from people we meet in our daily life. There were poor people, people still living by the river, people from countryside who were unable to access to the mainstream of the society.

On the other hand, we also saw people who were quite alike the people we met during our childhood and teenage. Those people, as they were just stepping out from our memories, were the typical Shanghainese from the 1980’s and 1990’s. They remained the typical Shanghainese style which had disappeared due to the high speed development of the city.

On the ferryboat of “Dong Chang Lu — Jin Ling Dong Lu” line, we found visitors from all over the country and from other countries. The boat was quite luxury with double floor, cinema-like seats and air condition. The line was no longer served for local people for daily use, but for tourists for site seeing. It was no longer the ferryboat in our memory; it was so commercial and touristy that both of us feel sick of it.

Living or abandoned, busy or quiet, with or without vehicles, for local people or for tourists … ferries have unique beauty as containers reserving the culture and lifestyle of Shanghai. For this reason, we believe that we are right to put our ferry project from tour to a tale. (Lin Yu, 1 May 2008)

TRAVEL NOTES
After a light sleepiness the night before, I got up at 7 and took a shower, arrived at Aimee’s at 8:10, then drove towards the north. Traffic was quite good in Sunday morning. After Central Cycle, we missed Yi Xian Lu Elevated Line, therefore, we had to drive on the ground road among the container trucks. At 9:19 we found our first ferry-station: Wu Song Lu Ferry, where our jeep could ferry across the river. I lived by the river when I was young — at that time there was no bridge but a tunnel, cars crossed the river mainly by means of ferry. Now only this ferry line still remains the vehicle ferry. But we were shocked when a passenger ferryboat reached the wharf; a staff told us to drive our jeep directly into it. The vehicle ferryboat in memory disappeared totally…

Stopped the car in the passenger ferryboat (which I had took numerous times during my childhood), pulled off the handbrake and switched off the engine, I jumped off the jeep, crossed people around me, lit my cigarette, a familiar smell rose into my nose, which, was the smell of the river. Driving towards the south along the river in Pudong, it became hot slowly in the jeep, then slowly, it cooled down. Ferries. Wharves. Stall-keepers were making their living by the ferries. Bus line started from the ferries. Pink paulownia flowers werw in full blooming. Roaring engine of the ferryboat. Abandoned vehicle ferry wharf. Bridge figure irremovable from sight. Some people remained crossing the river by ferry. Lovers were snuggling up together in the foreground…

The river became sexy at dusk on the LCD screen of camera. The giant steamers parking in the middle of the river were illumined by lights. River-water captured at the shutter speed of 1/8 of a second, and lovers were watching the river — all of those fitted my mood perfectly. Deep draught barges connected one by one, floating on the surface of river. Our ferryboat rounded them carefully driving toward the opposite bank. A ferryboat that started from the opposite drove towards us and passed…

It was totally dark now. We were heading for the south, search for the ferries hiding by the river. Those ferries were waiting quietly in the small village by the giant bridges. They were there before those magnificent bridges were built up, at that time they were very busy and noisy. Then it was mid-night, we were still driving towards the south. We were on a quite lampless road. On both side of the road there were giant trees, whose big crowns connected together, which made the road like a tunnel in the lights of the jeep. It was nothing but dark in the rearview mirror, and at the end of the light, there was nothing but dark as well. I lost my sense of speed as I was driving, then I could only depend on the number told by the speedometer needle. Aimee told me that at the end of the road, laid the last ferry of the River, and of our journey too. (Song Tao, 29 April 2008)

THE ROUTE
2008-04-27
09:19 Wu Song Ferry
09:32 San Cha Ferry
10:59 Dong Tang Lu Ferry
11:20 Neng Jiang Lu Ferry
11:49 Jin Qiao Lu Ferry
12:04 Ding Hai Qiao Ferry
13:22 Xie Pu Lu Ferry
13:44 Ning Guo Lu Ferry
14:04 Min Sheng Lu Ferry
14:14 Dan Dong Lu Ferry
14:25 (Ex-) Min Sheng Lu Vehicle Ferry
14:48 Qi Chang Zhai Ferry
15:03 Qin Huang Dao Lu Ferry
15:32 Tai Tong Zhai Ferry Construction Site
16:01 Dong Chang Lu Ferry
16:20 Jin Ling Dong Lu Ferry
17:02 Yang Jia Du Ferry
17:11 Fu Xing Dong Lu Ferry
17:24 Tang Qiao Ferry
17:42 Dong Jia Du Ferry
18:05 1 Nan Ma Tou Ferry 1
18:22 Lu Jia Bang Lu Ferry
18:35 Nan Jiang Lu Ferry
18:51 2 Nan Ma Tou Ferry 2
19:16 Close to Zhou Jia Du Ferry (Now Construction Site)
19:51 San Lin Lu Ferry
20:16 Gang Kou Ferry
21:17 Xi Du Ferry
21:46 Min Hang Ferry
22:36 Tang Kou Ferry

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