Thousands of fishing boats returned to sea along China's southern coast on August 15 as the annual summer fishing moratorium came to an end. Introduced to give marine ecosystems and fish stocks time to recover, the seasonal pause also sets the stage for a new cycle of economic activity.

In Yangjiang City, south China's Guangdong Province, coastal communities are turning the occasion into festivals that combine traditional customs, seafood markets and tourism, helping drive business across the fishing, catering, hospitality and retail sectors.

(CGTN's Yang Yi and the Publicity Department of the Yangjiang Municipal Committee also contributed to this story.)