Tucking into a delicious steamed fish is a highlight of Chinese New Year for many families in Taicang, Jiangsu province. But first, a few brave locals in nearby Yongfeng village have to carry out an ancient tradition that is not for the faint-hearted: Plunging into the village's icy lake to catch the fish that will fill tables across Taicang on Jan 28.

Fishermen from Taicang, Jiangsu province maintain their high spirits despite the icy cold of the water as they fish in Yongfeng village on Jan 15. [Photo/Taicang Daily]

A band of intrepid fishermen gathered in Yongfeng at 8:30 am on Jan 15, braving the biting wind and freezing waters as they worked their way across the village's old 2,000-mu (133-hectare) natural lake, which has been converted into a modern agriculture park featuring 1,000 mu of fishponds.

The group harvested some 40,000 kilograms of fish over the course of the day, which was whisked away to markets as soon as it was labeled for sale.

A fisherman celebrates catching a carp in Yongfeng village in Taicang, Jiangsu province on Jan 15. Carp is a particularly auspicious food to eat during Chinese New Year, since its Chinese name, li, is a homonym for the Chinese words for profit, strength and power. [Photo/Taicang Daily]

The tradition of winter fishing in Taicang dates back several hundred years, and this year's good catch has come after years of experience. Even as Taicang has strived to build itself into a modernized city, locals have also sought to preserve tradition.

A bird's eye view of the fishponds in Yongfeng village in Taicang, Jiangsu province [Photo/Taicang Daily]

Fish is also a must for families during the Chinese New Year holiday for the auspicious symbolism it boasts. The Chinese word for fish, yu, is a homonym for the word for surplus.

Surplus is a particularly important word in China during the New Year holiday, since Chinese traditionally believe that you can make more in the next year if you have managed to save something at the end of the previous year.

Yongfeng village in Taicang also produces other seasonal agricultural products, including strawberries. [Photo/wechat: tcfbgw]

Edited by Dominic Morgan