Signed Modern Chinese Watercolor of Li River Cormorant Fishermen. Depicts three fishermen on the river with tall round purple mountains in the distance. Signed and dated '94 upper right. 

Condition: Small spots throughout. 

Overall Size: 27 1/4 x 34 1/4 in. 

Sight Size: 17 x 24 in. 

#3543 . 

The Li River (or Li Jiang) is the name for the upper reaches of the Gui River in northeastern Guangxi, China. It is part of the Xijiang River system in the Pearl River basin, flowing 102 miles in total from Xing’an County to Pingle County. It originates in the Mao’er Mountains and heads generally south before merging with the Lipu and Gongcheng Rivers in Pingle, at which point it becomes the Gui. The upper course of the Li River is connected by an ancient Lingqu canal with the Xiang River, which flows north into the Yangtze, and in the past made the Li and Gui Rivers part of a highly important waterway. One of the major features that brings millions of tourists to the river each year is cormorant fishing, a traditional fishing technique in which fishermen use trained cormorants to make their catch. Historically, cormorant fishing has taken place in China and Japan, and has also appeared independently in Greece, North Macedonia, England, France, and Peru, a testament to the intelligence and trainability of this species around the world. To control the birds, the fishermen tie a loose snare near the base of the bird’s throat, then use a verbal command to encourage the bird to dive. The snare does not stop the bird from swallowing small fish, but prevents the bird from swallowing larger fish, which are held temporarily in their gullet. When a cormorant has caught a fish in its throat, the fisherman brings the bird back to the boat and has it regurgitate the fish. The birds receive a portion of the catch at the end of each day, with fishing families raising prized cormorants for celebratory fishing competitions throughout the year. This artisan fishing method is no longer used anywhere except southwestern China, and due to conventional fishing methods overwhelming this 1000 year old industry it is primarily done to increase tourism to the area. Thankfully, efforts are being made to protect and keep the practice alive as a culturally significant aspect of the Bai people.

Small spots throughout.