Chinese Fishing Nets
Chinese Fishing Nets, also known as Cheenavala, serve as the official icon of Kochi. Basically, these nets are fixed land installations that have been introduced by Chinese explorer, Zheng He. Found at most of the places in Kerala, these are the shore operated lift nets, which are used for an unusual form of fishing. These 20 metre high nets are set up on teak and bamboo poles. Comprising of a cantilever with a net that are suspended over the sea, these structures have stones tied to ropes as counterweights. When operated by a group of six men, each net spreads to 20 metre or more over the water body. Every net has different operating depth and therefore, repeated use of same net in tidal waters is not possible. For fishing, these nets are descended into the sea for few minutes before they are lifted with the caught fishes. Located near the Fort Cochin on Vasco da Gama Square, these Chinese Fishing Nets are popular tourist attractions. Situated about 14 km away from the main town Kochi, these can be reached by hired car, taxi, bus or auto-rickshaws.
Valummel, Kochi, Kerala 682005, India