Chagan Lake (China) - Famous Winter Fishing Tradition

Chagan Lake has a long history and splendid civilization. According to archaeological discoveries, ancient humans lived at the Qingshantou near Chagan Lake as early as the late Paleolithic age more than 13000 years ago. It is a fishing and hunting place for emperors of the Liao, Jin, and Yuan Dynasties. In the Song and Liao dynasties, from emperor Shengzong to Emperor Tianzuo, they led officials, queens, and concubines from the capital to Chagan Lake for fishing and hunting every spring, which was called "spring nabao". At that time, the emperor met with tribal leaders and held "First Fish Banquet" and "First Goose Banquet". It is said that when Genghis Khan came to Horqin grassland to conquer the kingdom in 1211, he burned incense and worshipped at Chagan Lake. From then on, Chagan Lake has been publicized as a "holy lake". Until now, before fishing in winter, Chagan Lake has to hold a traditional ceremony to worship the lake and bless the net. On the one hand, people respect Chagan Lake, and at the same time, they seek prosperity and harvest from it. Chagan Lake is also closely related to the empress Xiaozhuang of the Qing Dynasty. During the Qing Dynasty, it was also a religious and cultural center within a radius of hundreds of kilometers. There were Miaoyin temple and other temples. Now, after the restoration and reconstruction of Miaoyin temple, a series of religious and cultural activities have been formed, such as temple fair, Chama dance, Qiandeng Dharma fair, Lake sacrifice, and so on. Today, the unique Eastern Mongolian culture and national customs formed here are still well preserved. In particular, the winter fishing in Chagan Lake is a living relic of human fishing and hunting culture.

From the middle of December to the late January of the following year, the winter fishing in Chagan Lake will be held as scheduled. Winter fishing is a traditional fishery custom in Mongol Autonomous County, Songyuan City, Jilin Province. This traditional fishery originated in prehistory and flourished in Liao and Jin Dynasties. It has been inherited for thousands of years. It retains rituals or processes such as sacrificing the lake, waking up the net, ice drilling, and casting the net. Although the years change, the spectacle, magic, and sanctity of winter fishing in Chagan Lake remain. Today, nearly 2 million tourists visit Chagan Lake every year, bringing more than 10 billion Yuan of comprehensive tourism income to the local area, and the local online sales of agricultural products are also increasing year by year.

The most famous fish in Chagan Lake is fat head fish, which is also known as bighead carp and silver carp. It lives in the upper layer of the water and has a mild temperament. It mainly eats zooplankton in the water and phytoplankton. The fat head fish in Chagan Lake grows in a purely natural state without any bait, fertilizer, and pesticide. As a traditional fishing custom, it has enjoyed a reputation in the Liao and Jin Dynasties, as a famous feature of Jilin. The winter fishing in Chagan Lake has long been listed in the provincial intangible cultural heritage list of Jilin Province. It was rated as one of China's top ten ecological festivals and national intangible cultural heritage, and Chagan Lake was determined as a national intangible cultural park.

In the winter fishing activities in Chagan Lake, 420,000 kg were caught in one net in 2018, creating a new Guinness world record for the highest amount of under-ice fishing in a single net; In 2020, the total catch of winter fishing activities will exceed 3 million kg. In fact, the whole Chagan Lake can provide 1300 tons of high-quality fish in a year. Now, if the technology allows, throwing a net in winter can normally capture fish of more than 300000 kg. In addition to the weight of fishing, the price of the first fish is often recorded. In the annual winter fishing activities, the first fish caught is often regarded as a symbol of luck and attracts many people to buy it. Usually, the first fish is sold by auction. In the first year of 2014, the fish was auctioned for 370,000 Yuan. In 2020, the initial auction price of the first fish was only 200000. After several rounds of price increase year by year, the first fish once soared to 3 million. According to the records, the heaviest fish king caught in Chagan Lake in 2016, weighing about 25kg, was also sold in the form of an auction, and the final transaction price was 858,000 Yuan.

In winter, Chagan Lake is covered with silver and plain, and the scenery is very beautiful. Before the start of the annual winter fishing activities, the mysterious ceremony of "Sacrificing the Lake and Blessing the Net" of Chagan Lake winter fishing will be held here. When the ceremony of "Sacrificing the Lake and Blessing the Net" is announced, drums and music will be heard. The head of the fisherman will lead the Mongolian girls holding hada, the Mongolian youth holding milk buckets, and the fishermen in white stubble sheep fur coats to ride on the horse with plow, and the Lama in red cassock shakes the Dharma wheel and other Buddhist tools, Chama dancers wearing masks of dragons, deer, cattle, and horses enter the sacrificial site with the sound of drums. In the lake worship, the chanting of lamas, the dancing, colorful balloons, the noisy drum music, and the beating of Chama, the people in the lake area offering sacrifices to the lake God, were believed by the local people to awake the winter net with the blessings of the sustainable reproduction of all creatures and the happy and healthy life of the people. After the ceremony, a series of winter fishing plows shuttle back and forth on the ice. The high-pitched and excited labor chant dispels the coldness of the severe winter. The heavy net pulls out from the ice hole with the sparkling fresh fish, which forms the most spectacular scene of Chagan Lake in winter.

Popular Jilin Tour: ☛ 5 Days Club Med Beidahu Ski Tour with Jilin Wusong Island

In addition to fishing activities in winter, Chagan Lake in summer is also very beautiful. The lakeside is cool and pleasant. You can drive a speedboat to the broad lake; take a raft through the winding reed corridor to enjoy the lotus flowers; sit in the dense high weeds to listen to the melodious sound of the local horse head string instrument; take the silver bowl of milk wine from the Mongolian people under the shady trees... The summer of Chagan Lake is famous for its grassland, pure lake, cool mountain, and rich ethnic customs.