Life Aboard a Chinese Houseboat
Life Aboard a Chinese Houseboat
A foray into the daily life of a poor Chinese fishing family living aboard a houseboat, also known as a junk or a sampan. Some fascinating material here depicting a unique way of life in an area seemingly untouched by Maoist politics (though certainly under Communist regimen and consequent economic uncertainty). But they sure look happy.
Life Aboard a Chinese Houseboat
Credits
Life Aboard a Chinese Houseboat
Shanghai, China. harbor on a busy morning (many, many junks littering the sailways).
Life Aboard a Chinese Houseboat
A peculiar angled map of mainland China and its sytems of river stemming from the Himalayas; zoom in to Fukien and the Min River in southern China.
Life Aboard a Chinese Houseboat
The Min River; tight LS's of a lone junk struggling against the river's tide until several people ashore help out. MS of a man on the junk rowing. Ttight LS of the junk raising its sail and setting off.
Life Aboard a Chinese Houseboat
Fuzhou harbor, a mess of junks and canoes. MS of a taxi boat with passengers. Tight LS's of junks hauling specific items.
Life Aboard a Chinese Houseboat
LS's of docked houseboats, families attending to their daily chores. MS of a women sewing on the boat, followed by MS and CU of two kids feeding geese inside a small bamboo cage. MS of man smoking from a large hooka-styled apparatus. MS of a woman watering the plants aboard a junk. MS's of the father sewing (repairing) a fishing net. MS's of the mother wiping the kids' faces with river water. CU of Christin religious images worn on clothes. MS's of the mother wiping the kids' faces with river water. MS's of the father sewing (repairing) a fishing net. MS's of wife sewing clothes.
Life Aboard a Chinese Houseboat
The family rows out to the fishing grounds. MS's of the entire family manning the oars. Once at the grounds, MS's of the father casting a large net. MS's of the oldest boy taking a fish from the holding bay and gutting it for lunch preparation. MS of the father bringing the near-empty catch on board, taking what few there are from the net and throwing them into the holding bay.
Life Aboard a Chinese Houseboat
CU of a fish frying in a wok on board the junk, followed by MS of the wife adding cut vegetable greens. More MS's of the father hauling another catch, this one with some larger fish for selling at the marketplace back ashore. MS of the wife adding white rice to a large rice steamer.
Life Aboard a Chinese Houseboat
Great MS's and CU's of the family eating lunch on the boat, including a wonderful shot of the father helping the youngest child eat. Tight LS of the father placing a sunscreen net over the junk. More MS's of the family rowing, this time for port.
Life Aboard a Chinese Houseboat
Fantastic section of trained fishing birds and their master. MS's of a small raft on which cormorant birds and their master row for the fishing ground. Tight LS of the master coaxing the birds into the water. MS's of the birds in the water, dipping down and catching fish. The man nets the successful bird and hoists it to the boat. MS's of the man taking the fish from the bird's beak and placing the catch into a wicker basket. Unfortunately for the birds they don't get to keep their catch.
Life Aboard a Chinese Houseboat
Family on a sampan. They rowthe boat. Shots of daybreak at port, junks rolling quietly in the calm waters. MS of the family sleeping aboard the boat. MS's of the family shucking the grass covering and washing the sides of the boat.
Life Aboard a Chinese Houseboat
Many tight LS's of sanpan boats on the harbor, rowing for port with their goods.
Life Aboard a Chinese Houseboat
Card "The End"