Traditional winter fishing at Chagan Lake ignites public passion in NE China

With the cheers of harvest coming from Chagan Lake, the 22nd winter fishing-themed festival kicked off on Thursday in Songyuan City, northeast China's Jilin Province.

Every late December, fishermen gather on the frozen Chagan Lake, the province's largest freshwater lake and one of the 10 largest freshwater lakes in China, for two months of fishing, which is not only an eye-catching harvest feast, but also a celebration of traditional culture. 

For over a millennium, fishermen and women living by the lake have kept alive the tradition of ice fishing. The technique, which has been listed as a national-level form of intangible cultural heritage, attracts a large number of tourists every winter.

The bustling celebration of tradition

Before the winter fishing begins, the local people will hold a grand ceremony to honor the gods of the lake and heaven, and pray to them for the sustainability of all life and a good harvest during winter.

Fishermen work in teams, each with a specific job. By observing the depth of the lake and the features of the bottom, the most experienced fisherman in the team determines the hunting site. After drilling holes in the 40-centimeter layer of ice, huge fishing nets, usually 2,000 meters long, are weaved through the holes to form a kind of enclosure beneath the ice. Then the horses begin to turn a giant wheel attached to the nets, pulling the massive nets ashore.

In the ancient fishing culture, the biggest fish was a symbol of harvest, and people believed the fisherman who caught it would have a prosperous year ahead. The largest fish in the first catch is believed to be auspicious and lucky, and will go under the hammer to the highest bidder. This year's high-profile fish was sold for nearly 1.4 million yuan (about $200,000) at auction on Thursday.

Rich fish resources contribute to bumper harvest

Chagan Lake covers an area of more than 506 square kilometers, equal to the size of over 70,000 soccer fields. It produces up to 6,000 tonnes of fish from its 68 different species annually. In 2022, about 260,000 kilograms of fish were caught at one time, a new record.

In addition to the rich fish resources in the lake, strict ecological protection measures have also contributed to a large harvest. Every winter fishing season, local authorities limit fishermen to a total of 1.5 million kilograms of fish, which is actually less than 1 percent of the fish amount in the whole lake.

Fishermen keep nature in mind throughout the process in order to preserve the tradition for the next generation. Avoiding the use of modern vehicles helps reduce the chance of contaminating the lake water. Also, over the past few years, the money from the auction has been invested into protecting the lake and its surrounding environment. 

Every winter, the fishing festival attracts more than 300,000 tourists from around the country, who can both watch the centuries-old ice-fishing and enjoy all-fish banquets in local restaurants. 

By exploring eco-tourism, innovating tourism-related products and creating unique snow-themed performances over the past decade, the authorities have boosted the local economy and increased people's incomes. In 2022, the lake received more than 900,000 visitors, raking in 792 million yuan in revenue.