A screenshot of Hong Guozhuang during the short film Fishermen's Songs — Hong Guozhuang. [Photo/Tide News]

Fishermen's Songs — Hong Guozhuang, a documentary short film from Zhoushan in East China's Zhejiang province, has been shortlisted for the Best Documentary Short Film category at the 5th Hong Kong Bauhinia International Film Festival, highlighting efforts to preserve coastal intangible cultural heritage.

The film focuses on a local fisherman, Hong Guozhuang, born in 1947, who has spent his life preserving and performing the rhythmic work songs once used to coordinate fishing operations at sea.

The songs, historically used to synchronize tasks such as raising sails and rowing, functioned as a form of collective rhythm for fishing crews.

Since 2004, he has taken part in more than 1,200 performances and helped bring Zhoushan's fishermen's songs from local fishing boats to national and international stages. He has also been involved in teaching younger generations, delivering voluntary training in local primary schools and mentoring more than 2,000 students.

However, the tradition is under pressure as modern fishing becomes increasingly mechanized and fewer people are able to perform the songs. Cultural preservation efforts have therefore expanded into education and documentation projects.

The documentary is part of a wider visual preservation initiative recording Zhoushan's maritime intangible cultural heritage, including traditional music, storytelling, and puppet arts. Filmmakers combined archival storytelling with modern techniques, including AI-assisted visual reconstruction, to document disappearing cultural practices.