The Li River Cormorant and Fishermen
About the Li River Cormorant fishermen:
The Li River fisherman rides on a small bamboo raft barely 3 feet wide and pushes himself along the river using a bamboo pole,he also users the pole to chase the cormorants into the water where they dive below the surface in search of fish;When the birds catch a fish they return to the boat and the fisherman removes the fish from their throat and places it in the basket. Why doesn't the Cormorant just eat the fish? The secret is that the fisherman places a cord around the bird's neck to keep the bird from swallowing the fish, it was fascinating .
When you Travel to Guilin, you can enjoy a night excursion of cormorant fishing, which involves the bird swallowing the fish and then the fish being placed back into the Li River. After that, for a small fee, you can have your picture taken with one of these famous cormorants and fisherman beside the beautiful Li River.
More About the cormorants
For hundreds of years, the Chinese people have enjoyed the tradition of cormorant fishing, it is a huge part of the Chinese culture. cormorants are good sized birds who, like the Anhingas found in the Everglades, enjoy diving underwater in search of fish.These birds are caught from the wild while very young, allowing for a unique bond with the person fishing.
To allow the cormorants fishing to continue but without fear of losing a precious bird, the Li River fisherman always ties a piece of string to one leg so if needed, the bird could be pulled back in.Cormorant fishing is that rather than work during the day, fishing is done as the sun sets. This way, lanterns on the raft help attract the attention of the fish, which means a greater quantity of fish to take home.
Read More about Li River Guilin