Fishermen, Cormorants and Modern China

Finished

Cormorant fishing is a fishing method that uses the birds to catch fish. 2000 years old, Chinese cormorants have been used to catch fish for a living. This exhibition introduces the skills of fishermen who live with cormorants in modern China by presenting photographs and videos of cormorants taken by Sohei Uda of the National Museum of Ethnology in various parts of China, along with cormorant boats from the collection of the National Museum of Ethnology.

This exhibition features a selection of photographs and videos taken in China. Cormorant fishing in China has a diversity of techniques used in different regions, including the artificial breeding of cormorants, and fishing as a means of livelihood. Based on these characteristics, this exhibition presents photographs, videos, and specimens under four themes: cormorants found in various regions of China, portable cormorant boats, techniques for breeding cormorants, and fishing techniques using cormorants.

In particular, Chinese cormorants are used by fishermen all over the country who breed cormorants at home and raise their chicks. This kind of artificial breeding of cormorants is practiced only in China, if anywhere in the world. We hope that this exhibition will help visitors understand the techniques and knowledge of cormorant fishing and the relationship between cormorants and humans.

Schedule

Jun 30 (Thu) 2022-Aug 2 (Tue) 2022