Winter fishing-themed festival opens at Chagan Lake, NE China

This aerial photo taken on Dec. 28, 2022 shows people watching winter fishing on the Chagan Lake in Songyuan City, northeast China's Jilin Province. (Xinhua/Zhang Nan)

A winter fishing-themed festival opened on Wednesday at Chagan Lake, marking the beginning of the annual golden season for winter fishing here.

Chagan Lake, located in Songyuan City, is one of China's largest freshwater lakes with abundant fishery resources. For centuries, the locals living by Chagan Lake have kept alive the tradition of ice fishing by hand-drilling holes through the thick ice and casting nets into the icy waters to catch fish.

After years of promotion, winter fishing at Chagan Lake has become a famous tourism attraction in the city.

This aerial photo taken on Dec. 28, 2022 shows the opening ceremony of a winter fishing-themed festival on the Chagan Lake in Songyuan City, northeast China's Jilin Province. (Xinhua/Zhang Nan)

Tourists select goods at a fish market near Chagan Lake in Songyuan City, northeast China's Jilin Province, Dec. 27, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Chang)

The opening ceremony of a winter fishing-themed festival is held on the Chagan Lake in Songyuan City, northeast China's Jilin Province, Dec. 28, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Chang)

This aerial photo taken on Dec. 28, 2022 shows the opening ceremony of a winter fishing-themed festival on the Chagan Lake in Songyuan City, northeast China's Jilin Province. (Xinhua/Zhang Nan)

Fish are packaged by staff at a fish market near Chagan Lake in Songyuan City, northeast China's Jilin Province, Dec. 27, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Chang)

Local fishermen catch fish on the frozen Chagan Lake in Songyuan City, northeast China's Jilin Province, Dec. 28, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Chang)

This aerial photo taken on Dec. 28, 2022 shows people watching winter fishing on the Chagan Lake in Songyuan City, northeast China's Jilin Province. (Xinhua/Zhang Nan)

This aerial photo taken on Dec. 28, 2022 shows a scene of winter fishing on the Chagan Lake in Songyuan City, northeast China's Jilin Province. (Xinhua/Zhang Nan)

Tourists watch winter fishing on the Chagan Lake in Songyuan City, northeast China's Jilin Province, Dec. 28, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Chang)

Tourists select goods at a fish market near Chagan Lake in Songyuan City, northeast China's Jilin Province, Dec. 27, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Chang)