Author:Chou Shin-Chuan(1931-)
Category：Photograph
Year：1994
Size description：無
Introduction：Cormorants were helpful companions to fishermen on Erhai Lake in Yunnan Province, serving as skilled divers. At dawn, fishermen took their cormorant-laden boats to the fishing grounds, where the birds dived into the lake to catch fish in their throat pouches. The birds then returned to their owners, who held their necks and squeezed the fish out. The process would continue until sunrise, signaling the end of work. The backlit scene of the fishermen and birds creates a serene and timeless view of the coexistence of humans and birds, with mountains and clouds in the distance. In this quiet scene, the flapping wings of cormorants is the only sound that is received visually. With the modernization of fishing tools, the practice is now a relic of tradition, making this photograph a captivating document of the past.
(Text by Lu Hsiao-Yu)
Accession number:NCP2016-022-0113