fishers knot

fishers knot happened in Wuzhou, China, a then smaller city on the Xi Jang river in Southern China. The picture was taken back in 1984, making it a somewhat contemporary document.

The fisher applies a very traditional fishing technique using bamboo poles to hold a static net which will be lowered into the waters and later lifted with a hopefully generous catch of the day inside. The large nets are of course exposed to heavy strain, therefore needing frequent repair. The fisherman is seen here doing so, quietly smoking his pipe while knitting knots. His dress is the then widely worn workers uniform, imposed by Mao Tse Dong. His devastating regime and cultural revolution had ended only a few years before.