Fishing with Birds in China

Amongst the many fantastic sights of China are the fishermen who fish with birds. An old profession in China it is still used today in many areas but also for the tourists to view too. The photograph above is near Yangshuo village at the end of the Li River Cruise. This gentleman posses for photos for a small donation. However in Guilin you must take the evening boat ride on the city lakes. It is one of the most breath taking rides I have ever taken with the lights and sights. And the fisherman who fish at night have their cormorants diving and catching fish off their small rafts. You will get a close up view of these fantastic birds who dive on their own and catch what I thought would be small fish but to my surprise they were bringing up some 3 and 4 lb. fish. There is a string tied to their throat so they can not swallow the fish; but it does not hurt the birds. They seem to enjoy their diving and bringing back fish to the raft and of course they get a reward from the fisherman too. We were within just 10 feet of the rafts while on the boat so we could see all the action close up. During your China Tours you will see many sites like this as well as others of a culture that is over 8000 years old. Tours to China can be done with a tour planner like myself who has 25 years of experience in planning customized tours to the interests of my clients. Check my web site at www.interlakechinatours.com or contact me at interlak@eskimo.com  Click on the photo for full screen view.