The only ethnic group in the north of China that lives on fishing is the Hezhen people

The only ethnic group in the north of China that lives on fishing is the Hezhen.

Hezhe their living environment sea and natural resources more suitable with fishing for a living. Herzhe people are mainly distributed in the northeast region, is a fishing and hunting people. They according to a variety of fish habit characteristics and activity patterns and familiar fishing places, according to different seasons for fishing. One of the production activities that the Herzhe people rely on for their survival is fishing, which is not only the utilization of natural resources, but also an important source of their livelihood.

The Herzhe are an ethnic group with a long history in Northeast China, living mainly in the Herzhe townships along the river in Raohe, Fuyuan and Tongjiang counties in Heilongjiang Province. The population of this ethnic group is small, only about 5,000 according to 2010 statistics, but their cultural characteristics are very unique.

History of the Hezhen:

The traditional culture and lifestyle of the Hezhen are closely related to fishing. They are the only people in the north who make a living by fishing, and have rich fishing knowledge and skills. The Hezhen people are good at driving boats made of birch bark and fishing in rivers and lakes.

They catch a wide variety of fish, including salmon, carp, sturgeon, crucian carp and so on, all of which are realized by relying on the fishery skills inherited from their ancestors. In addition, the Herzhe people are also good at using fish skin to make clothes and shoes and other daily necessities, forming a unique fish skin culture.

The traditional culture of the Hezhen people also includes songs, dances and handicrafts. Their songs and dances are in various forms, such as drum dance, dancing deer god, dance spin, etc., each of which is rich in national characteristics. At the same time, the handicrafts of the Hezhen people are also very characteristic, such as fish skin painting, birch bark painting, wood carving, stone carving and so on, all of which are works of art with high value.

The history and culture of the Hezhen people are closely related to the local natural environment. They believe in the spirit of all things, worship nature and pay attention to ecological protection. Historically, the Herzhe people also believed in shamanism, a religious belief that has had a profound impact on their cultural values.

The Herzhe people have successfully realized the historical leap from fishing and hunting to agriculture, and the diversified economic pattern with planting as the leading industry has been formed initially.