Yang Shuyun is probably the best known cormorant fisherman in Wucheng. For me, it was a long and hard journey to get to his door. I had read about him in an old American magazine from where I found his name and the name of his town.

The article told how the art of cormorant fishing was decreasing fast as the fish supplies dwindled through over fishing and pollution. How also the lure of China’s industrial awakening enticed many of the young towards more profitable ways of earning a living.

I felt compelled to try and find if there were any families left still fishing with cormorants, before all that was left were the show displays for the tourists.

Just like falconry, a display gives a distorted view of the real thing. Something you can never understand unless you are privileged to accompany a skilled artisan.