Lake Chagan Winter Fishing China

Chagan Lake, Mongolian as "Chagan Naoer", with a meaning of white holy lake, is located in Qianguo county, Songyuan, Jilin China. The lake is often referred to as Sacred Pond or Holy Water Lake by local people. With an area of 307 square kilometers, it was once a fishing and hunting resort for emperors since the Liao & Jin Dynasty. The lake is always known for traditional winter fishing from then on.   

Chagan Naoer Winter Fishing Tradition  
Chagan Lake is the only place that saves the oldest Mongolia fishing method. It is listed in 2008 as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage of the People's Republic of China.

1. Sacrifice ceremony for lake
On this winter ritual, well-dressed Mongolian girls present cheese for the fishermen; lamas chant sutras and the head of fishing team make a toast to the lake. The sacrifice ceremony ends with the first fish caught by the fishing head via the first ice hole.   

2. Tranfer the nets and tools by cart and horses  to fishing area.

3. Place the nets
When the fishing tools arrived at the working area, the head of fishing team will determine and mark the ice holes by flags. Master of nets lead fishermen to drill many holes

through the thick ice and then place nets under the ice.  
4. Pull the nets & harvest records
Master of nets use the reel and horses to pull nets, until all fishes will be pulled out from water. The Lake set a Guinness World Record of a single net that yielded 104,500 kg

(230,400 lb) fish in 2005, and broke its own record with168,500 kg (371,500 lb) of fish in 2008.
 

5. Auction for the biggest fish
In 2016, the biggest fish weight about 25 kg and start to bide at price of 188888 CNY and deal at the price of 85,888 CNY.

6. Festivals
The annual Winter Fishing Festival is held from the mid December to the mid of January next year to remember the old winter fishing tradition. The winter fishing attracts

thousands of tourists both here and abroad every year.