Jinlun

No matter where you are in the Pacific, there’s always something unique about the way in which the sun rises above its golden waves. About a dozen fishermen from the small township of Jinlun, Taiwan step onto the shore. They’re greeted by the ocean’s soft, salty breeze as they make their way to the water with their triangle nets in hand. The fishermen then stand together in a straight line right next to where a small stream meets the ocean. Their lamps light up their nets. Although it seemed like a very original scene at first, there was something all too familiar about it, about the act of fishing itself. Jin Lun’s fishermen prepare their triangle nets to filter out the water in the hopes of catching the small fish that swim in the brackish water of the estuary. This very particular way of fishing was popular once upon a time across the beaches of Taiwan. However, the low yield of fish made it impractical against the more modern fishing equipment of this day and age. Still, that doesn’t deter the small contingent of Jinlun fishermen who made their way to the beach just before dawn in a small, multi-coloroed caravan of four-wheel drive micro-vans. This type of fishing has become one of Taiwanese photographers’ favorite scenes to document. It is easy to see why: the fishermen use their headlamps to attract their would-be catch to their nets while others break the surf with their long shore rods. After the sun finishes its rise above the surf and the sky finally turns blue, the fishermen gather their nets and return to their micro-vans. They stand around for a while and share a beer or two before heading back home until tomorrow’s dawn. It is quite the sight.