Page 83 - August Life In Naples Magazine

spots and dives for fish. The brothers each have two birds. The
birds live by the river and are working companions. They attach
a loose string around their necks and loose enough not to cause
any discomfort to the birds. It is small enough to keep the birds
from swallowing fish too big and are taught to return the fish to
the boat. The men would paddle daily upstream for hours on a
homemade bamboo raft. Yue Ming and Yue Chuan threw their
large fishnets all day. The work is strenuous but provided food
and the needed money to support their families. They are true
entrepreneurs. Today it takes about $6,000 annually for family
survival even with their minimal life-style. This held true for all
the fourteen minority villages I visited through China.
Preferring to travel for photography by myself, I needed a
private guide. My desire was to visit non-tourist places during my
three-week journey. Fortunately, I found, Mia Beales of Guilin,
she’s lived in China for over nine years. Her life as a guide and
professional photographer has created a close relationship with
people in the minority villages as friends. Minorities are non-Hun
and live as mega families.
The next chapter in the Hung family is fascinating. They found
a need for tourist and advertisers to take scenic pictures. Currently
they sell their time as models. I was blessed to go past the picture
takers and spend some time with them in their home. It was
amusing, sitting with Yue Ming on his bed, he so was enthusiastic
to show his photo album of advertisers. The one series he loved
the most was beautiful models in bikinis on his boat holding
a bottle. I don’t know what the product was, but it looked like
sunscreen. You may see them in magazines in the USA someday;
I wouldn’t be surprised.
The journeys of additional villages will be presented in
subsequent issues of Life in Naples.

www.ronmcginty.com