Kochi :

The Chinese ambassador to India, Le Yucheng, on Sunday visited the Chinese fishing nets at Fort Kochi. He took part in casting the fishing nets and raised the hopes of several fishermen who are looking to the Chinese government to protect and preserve these nets.

However, the ambassador was non-committal. He said that the nets reminded him of the Chinese explorer, Zheng He, who is believed to have visited Kerala six times.

“I will surely promote tourist flow from China to Kerala. Wait for a few months, and I assure you that thousands of Chinese tourists will be heading your way,” said the ambassador. Last year, a Chinese embassy team that visited Kochi had offered help to restore the aged fishing nets that dot the shoreline of Kochi. However, the offer was declined by the Kochi corporation.

“With this visit, we hope that he would grant some funds for the restoration of nets as most of them are now being made from metal rather than traditional teak wood. Authorities also don’t seem to care about it any more,” said Hansel Joseph, a fisherman.

The Chinese fishing nets are facing a threat as authorities, including the Heritage Conservation Society, DTPC and Kochi corporation, have turned a blind eye to its plight. Many of them were removed recently.

On the second day of his official visit to Kerala, Le Yucheng visited other popular sites in Fort Kochi. “Kochi is rich with culture and heritage and I was told that it would be a shame not to visit these places,” he said.

The ambassador, who received an invitation to visit Kerala from chief secretary Jiji Thomson, arrived at Kumarakom on Friday along with a four-member team. His official tour of Fort Kochi began from the Dutch Palace and Jewish Synagogue in Mattancherry, following which he visited St Francis Church and the iconic Chinese fishing nets. He was also presented with a replica of the ‘cheenavala’.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Kochi / by TNN / August 10th, 2015