Like a Dance
A stunning sunset on Inle Lake throws a leg-rowing fisherman into bold silhouette.
There are some scenes so iconic that they could take place nowhere else.
So it is with the leg-rowing fishermen of Inle Lake in the Shan Hills of Myanmar. They are so uniquely Burmese that images of these men – standing on the sterns of their boats with one leg wrapped around an oar – often feature in travel advertising and features.
Inle Lake, Myanmar’s second-largest body of water, is in the heart of the Shan State, and home to about 70,000 Intha (“sons of the lake”) people. Four large cities and numerous small villages border the lake, but many Intha live on the lake itself, in houses built high on stilts rising out of the lake waters. Reeds and other floating plants also rise high out of the waters, so that when you are sitting low in a boat, it can hard to see and to steer a clear route through the vegetation. It is for this reason that, while the local women still row their boats in the usual manner, the local fishermen developed their distinctive standing rowing style.
I was very excited to have the chance to see these fishermen in action for myself, thanks to photography tour-leader Karl Grobl and local guide Mr MM.
Watching a fisherman demonstrate how he lowered and raised the huge, woven fish trap, and watching him row and balance on his boat, I was mesmerised. His movements were slow and hypnotic; the boat glided almost silently. It was like watching a beautiful dance.
The superb sunset we were treated to was an unexpected bonus.
Leg Rowing Fishermen
The local Intha people take their livelihoods from Inle Lake.
Readying the Net
Some fishermen use nets rather than the traditional fish-traps. The wooden boats sit so low in the water, they look submerged.
Balancing the Net
It is hypnotic watching the fisherman manoeuvre …
Balancing the Net
… balancing his boat, his oar and his oversize fish-trap.
Stepping down the Fish Trap
Fishing on Inle Lake is a physically strenuous activity. Traps are pushed into the water by foot, …
Retrieving the Fish Trap
… then pulled out again – hopefully with fish. There are nine endemic species of fish in the lake, as well as more common varieties.
Intha Fisherman
Portrait of an Intha Fisherman
Intha Fisherman
The Shan Hills rise up in the background as the dance continues.
All Smiles
I think our fisherman is enjoying this!
Delicate Balance
When he’s not rowing with his foot, …
Delicate Balance
… our Intha fisherman is using it to stabilise his net.
Portrait of an Intha Fisherman
Sunset Skies
As the afternoon stretches into evening, the clouds roll in and the sun angles lower.
Golden Light
… setting fire to the waters.
Leg Rower in Golden Light
Changing Light
Minute by minute, the skies change behind our fisherman on Inle Lake.
Fisherman in Purple
The Dance Continues
The sunset skies outline our fisherman against fabulous colour.
Fire and Ink
Soon it will be too dark to see…
Dark Skies
… leaving only the silhouette of the man and net against the dark skies.
It was a magnificent display – by both man and nature.
Leaving the scene, my travel companions and I were quiet – awed by the spectacle we had witnessed.
Truly, it was an iconic scene: a leg-rowing fisherman against an unbelievable sky.
It could be nowhere but Inle Lake – Myanmar.
amazing fisherman, I have seen the same on the Inle lake too. Greetings, Dietmut
They are amazing, aren’t they, Dietmut? Thanks for your visit.
[…] unique leg-rowing style that the men use so that they can see over the floating plant life (see: Ursula’s Weekly Wanders: Iconic Images). Most Intha reside in villages and towns on the lake’s edge, but some live in simple […]
[…] Shan State. The 45 square-mile (117 square-kilometer) lake is known for its leg-rowing Intha fishermen and its floating villages. Amongst the reeds and narrow waterways, the ethnic markets and […]