Elephants and Fishing Birds in China

Elephant Hill

Can you see the elephant? It’s huge isn’t it? Well, all elephants are big but this one’s a hill, or a mountain if you prefer.

Guilin, China is filled with mountain ranges that are quite unique in their structure and contour. There is more than one Elephant Hill in Guilin but each on has a different pose. This one here is taking a break by the river and getting some refreshing water.

Hey mister, why are you fishing there?

To get a full view of the elephant drinking some water, you have to pass by this small rocky dam like structure. We don’t know if fishing is allowed there but this man certainly didn’t let the fences stop him from going down there and fishing!

Photo op with two fishing birds

Once you’re across, you can see the whole elephant and by the riverbank is a small raft with a chair and a pole with two birds, or more specifically, fishing birds.

Those two black birds are called the cormorant birds and they help the fishermen fish. These birds are quite common around the rivers of Guilin because a lot of fishermen in Guilin use cormorant birds to fish in the shallow areas of the Li River.

How the cormorant birds fish

The fishermen would always have to watch the birds if they catch any fish. Once the cormorant bird catches one, the fisherman would take the bird at its throat and let the fish fall into their catch bin. It is important that the fishermen don’t let their fishing birds swallow any big fishes because if these birds get full, they can last for the whole day. No more fishing for them.

These birds are always around the riverbanks of Li River with an attending master where you can take your photo with them on the raft for a few yuan.