NEYC Traditional fish-catching in Yilan

“Quan Gu” is a traditional way of fishing in Yilan, using beach seines. In the past, local fishermen would blow seashell horns to gather up everyone in the village to help dragging the seines. The harvests would then be shared by all. As an old saying goes, “one must help pulling nets in order get fish.”

To do Quan Gu, people would first tie one end of a seine to the shores. A small boat would then take the seine to the seas, sets it out, and finally brings the other end of it back to the shores. Then, the people would pull the two ends of the seine together to drag fish.

Quan Gu dates back to more than 200 years ago in Yilan. It wasn’t practiced for quite a few years due to a decrease in the fish population and the moving-out of local workforce. These days, to keep this tradition alive and pass down the team spirit, Yilan’s elders all actively take part in events aimed at such goals. Hopefully, more people can learn about Yilan’s culture and nature at once.

In this modern era, many people lead a pressuring work life. Why not try catching fish with beach seines with other visitors in Yilan, in addition to immersing in Guishan Island’s beautiful scenery. All worries will surely go away!