Yunnan (China), fisherman with his fishing birds perched on a shoulder pole

Yunnan Province, China 1943 - 1945A young fisherman and his fishing birds. The birds have string attached to their neck and are released to dive catch smaller fish. When they come up with the fish a string is tightened around the birds neck making it impossible to swallow the prey. About every third fish was given the bird. Most fish I saw caught like this were of the smaller variety. It is interesting to note the tennis shoe with the hole. He probably fishes in shallow water and wades with these, hole and all. A small Mongolian horse munches vegetation at the right. Several military men are watching from a distance. Sitting on the bank in the background is a Chinese smoking a bamboo water pipe.GrayscaleBox