The Hungry Cormorant

My mother liked to tell me about Chinese cultural traditions when reminded by an event or a sight in our surroundings. I clung to these stories as a connection to a culture and history that I felt isolated from. I drew inspiration from a story I learned from my mother: Cormorant fishing. Cormorant fishing is a historical fishing method by tying a string around a cormorant’s neck and forcing it to regurgitate caught fish. It is done on moonless nights as fish are drawn to the boat lanterns. It was performed as amusement for aristocrats; nowadays it is a dying practice and a tourist attraction.