sailing peacefully across a river , the men fish without the aid of a rod with this unusual method , which was first practiced in 960 ad .
the men , pictured in southern china , release a cormorant bird , which then dives into the water and retrieves a carp , returning it to the fisherman 's reed raft .
with just a bird , a gas lamp and a net , fishermen in china keep a special , thousand year old tradition alive .