Protecting North China's Chagan Lake

Measures to safeguard natural resources, promote eco-tourism have proved beneficial and effective

Every year for over a millennium, fishermen have braved the subzero temperatures, biting winds and deep snow of Songyuan, a city in Northeast China's Jilin province, to search for an underwater fortune at Chagan Lake－one of the biggest freshwater lakes in the country.

Chagan, which is also referred to by locals as the "Holy Water Lake", is the only place in China where you can still find fishermen using a Mongolian fishing method that dates back centuries. The method, which is listed as a form of National Intangible Cultural Heritage, has barely changed over time.

Holes are drilled in the ice to lower a massive 2-kilometer-long net into position underwater. Once it fills up with fish, the net is hauled out of the water using a capstan turned by Mongolian horses. The biggest fish of the season's first catch sells for a large sum of money, marking the official start of the winter fishing season. This year's fish, which was caught on Dec 28 during the 20th Chagan Lake Ice and Snow Fishing and Hunting Cultural Tourism Festival, sold for 2,999,999 yuan ($455,337) at the auction.

As it is important to ensure that this tradition can continue without damaging the lake's ecology, starting this year, the money earned from the auction will be donated to the Chagan Lake Ecological Environmental Protection Charity Fund, Global Times reported. It will then be used to purchase fish fry to restock the lake. As they mature, the fry will ensure that there is always a stable population of healthy fish for fishermen to catch.

Chagan is located in the Qianguoerluosi Mongolian autonomous county, or Qianguo county. Since 2018, county authorities have spent 2.6 billion yuan on protecting natural resources, including the lake. Wetlands have been restored, 30 million fry have been introduced to Chagan, and numerous projects to protect the forests, fields, and lakes in Qianguo have been implemented.

The initiative is one of many that have taken place around China in recent years to protect the country's vast natural resources.