They were used mostly to carry cargo along lakes and rivers, and as lighters to transport goods to and from moored ships.
[1] Though they resemble the sampan, they are much larger with two detachable masts with junk rigs made of woven fiber.
They also possess outrigger-like platforms along the entire length of the sides, which is used by punters with barge poles when traversing shallow water.
They were steered by an oar or a central rudder by a helmsman housed in a small raised platform at the stern.
[2][3] In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, they were often strung together in a train drawn by a steamship (vapor).