Generations collide along China’s riverways

ALONG southern China’s snaking rivers, an ancient fishing community that once lived and worked exclusively on the water has been finding its way to land

A woman from the Tanka looks at boats moored on a river in Datang, in southern China's Guangdong province. Picture: AFP PHOTOS

ALONG southern China’s snaking rivers, an ancient fishing community that once lived and worked exclusively on the water has been finding its way to land.

Wooden fishing boats, wispy nets and bamboo steering poles are typical of the traditions of the “Tanka” – the term for generations of rural Chinese who have eked out an aquatic existence.

They are not an ethnic minority, but rather so named for their unique customs and egg-shaped vessels (Tanka, or “danjia,” is homophonous to the Chinese word for egg).

In Guangdong province’s Datang town, home to the country’s largest surviving Tanka population, this way of life risks evaporating as younger Tanka seek more prosperous opportunities on dry land.

Chen Yongfu, a 45-year-old Datang native, grew up on a fishing boat but now works at a restaurant in town.

“I moved out from the boat long ago, after I graduated from school,” Chen said. “I went to work in bigger towns and never returned to this kind of fishing boat life.”

He recalled that even weddings used to be held on the boats, jammed with tables and guests, creating “a pretty lively scene.” “Now,” Chen said, “there is no wedding culture for the Tanka anymore as all the younger generations moved onto land to live just like everyone else.”

The community today is a collision of these two cultures – the older fishers and the younger Tanka taking to land.

On a recent morning in Datang, an older woman in rubber boots squatted on a small bank as she pulled in a fishing line. Beside her, a girl stood in a red and white uniform, holding onto a Disney princess backpack. Jumping from a boat to the shore, she began her walk to school.