|
The Hezhen are a people of the fish. The kill
fish, they eat fish, they celebrate fish, and
they wear fish. They are expert fishermen and are
praised by others as "fish-catching kings."
By observing the bubbles on the surface, they
can tell what type of fish is underwater. The
Hezhen people understand the habits of fish, and when spearing fish, they rarely miss. During
the winter, elderly Hezhen crack a hole in the
ice and wait day and night for fish to pass.
Women wear fish-skin dresses; men wear fish-skin
coats and trousers. Quite possibly, the Hezhen
are the only people in the whole world, and
certainly the only people in China, who make
clothes with fish skin.
The emphasis on fish even extends into leisure activities. The Hezhen play
a sport known as "spearing the straw
ball." A man throws a straw ball, symbolizing
a fish. Participants throw spears at the rolling
ball, and the one to penetrate the ball wins.
|
