Winter fishing harvest kicks off at Ulungur Lake, NW China's Xinjiang

The annual Winter Fishing Festival in Fuhai County kicked off on January 20 at the snow-covered Ulungur Lake in Altay region, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is the right time when the cold-water fish are at their tastiest, with exceptionally delicate flesh. The first carp fish caught will be put up for auction, as it represents good luck in Chinese.

Crowned "the sea in the Gobi," Ulungur Lake, as one of the largest inland freshwater lakes in China, is also one of the most important fishing lakes in Xinjiang, along with Bosten Lake. For over six decades, fishermen have followed the traditional winter fishing method by digging holes in the lake's frozen surface, casting nets and hauling tonnes of fish up through the ice during the winter.

Home to the largest natural fishery base in northern Xinjiang, Fuhai County turned its tradition of winter fishing into a tourism festival featuring ice fishing performances, winter sports and other activities. The Ulungur Lake is like a treasure trove for locals. Every year, the winter fishing festival attracts tens of thousands of tourists at home and abroad to experience the lively, magnificent scene of winter fishing as well as purchase fresh goods.

At the festival, the signature dish was a fish-mutton soup made with the two local specialties – freshwater fish from the Ulungur Lake and lamb raised by local herdsmen. The Altay region of Xinjiang has high mountain forests, river valley scenery, lakes and hot springs, rock paintings and rock carvings. The natural grasslands and abundant water resources here are all derived from nature's gift to this magical land in Xinjiang. The sheep in the pasture and the fish in the Fuhai are the taste of nature. The delicious fish and sheep soup and the natural and unrestrained ethnic customs complement each other in the land of Altay, bringing infinite charm to the people.