Across China: Model fishermen reel in cash, not fish in SE China

In her fishing clothes and bamboo hat, with several baskets and a fishing net, Yang Xuexiang heads for her boat every day, and every day returns without a single fish.

Yang, 44, from Xiapu County in southeast China's Fujian Province, once plied her local waters daily, but now she is a model.

Carrying a shoulder pole, Yang walks up and down on the tidal flats, posing for photographers.

The coastline of Xiapu County stretches 480 kilometers and the tideland covers 70,000 hectares, one of the largest tidal flats in China. Thanks to its magical, dreamy scenery all year round, the county attracts many photographers, and so a new occupation has emerged for local people, fake fisherman.

"No picture of a tideland view picture is complete without fishermen catching fish or casting their nets," said Zheng Dexiong, chairman of Xiapu Photographers Association.

Planting nori, repairing nets and catching fish are the classical images photographers crave.

Before 2008, Yang and her husband went fishing every day, making less than 100 yuan (15 U.S. dollars) a day.

"One day during a slack fishing season, some photographers came to our village to take photos. The photographers asked if someone could pose for them," said Yang. "People in the village all refused but I agreed. I was embarrassed at first because it was the first time in my life that so many people had taken pictures of me."

"I wore my bamboo hat and headscarf so tightly that my face is barely visible in the photos," she said.

Yang earned 50 yuan from her first appearance. It was easy money, she said, and there and then she decided to become a full-time model.

"Initially my friends and relatives thought it was strange, but more and more people have joined me. Now I charge 100 yuan per hour and earn 300 to 400 yuan each day," said Yang.

There are now more than 200 fishermen working as models full-time or part-time in Xiapu County, making about four times as much money as they did in the past.

Likewise, more photographers are coming to Xiapu, staying in hotels, eating in restaurants and paying for photography guides.

In 2012, Yang opened a homestay and helps visitors arrange accommodation and find photography courses.

"My sister has also become a model, so that I can have time to manage the hostel," she said.

In 2015, more than 300,000 people visited Xiapu, creating over 10,000 jobs and a wealth of around 1 billion yuan, according to the local tourism bureau.

In addition to material benefits, her new job has also brought Yang a new outlook.

"Life was hard in my childhood, and my little wish was to earn lots of money by fishing. I never had the chance to appreciate the beauty of the tideland," said Yang. "It is truly splendid." Endi