Shaped by the sea

The latest season of a popular documentary series focuses on Chinese fisherfolk, Xu Fan reports.

Wrapped in a waterproof bodysuit, Yan Jiujian, a seasoned fisherman from Huludao in Liaoning province, hops into a vast area of shallow sea.

Located on one of China's largest tidal flats, the body of water, standing at an average of around 1 meter deep, is a bed of cockles.

Many viewers may consider Yan's look-with his tanned skin and calloused hands, as well as his cockle-picking tools-as matching their imagination of a typical fisherman. However, there is something poetic about him.

During his spare time, the middle-aged man dives into the world of songci, a classical type of Chinese poetry that reached its peak during the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

Yan's hobbies vary from writing down ancient poet Lu You's classics, such as Chai Tou Feng (depicting a tragic romance), as a way of practicing calligraphy, to reading late novelist Louis Cha's martial arts books.