Winter fishing festival in E China's Anhui adds to festive atmosphere for upcoming Spring Festival

Photo shows fishermen and their catch. (Photo/Zhang Yang)

An annual winter fishing-themed festival held at Nyushan Lake, Mingguang city in east China's Anhui Province has been in full swing in recent days, adding to the festive atmosphere for the upcoming Spring Festival.

A large amount of fish was harvested on the morning of Jan. 11. Some tourists cheered and took photos, with many marveling at the impressive winter fishing scene.

After being caught in a net, the fish were brought ashore by a crane. One silver carp that weighed 28 kilograms won the title ‘Fish King’.

Chinese people cook fish to celebrate the New Year and wish for abundance, as the Chinese word for “fish” has the same pronunciation as yu, which means "surplus." "I bought some big fish as New Year gifts for my friends and relatives back home," said Zhang Zhiliang, a tourist from Nanjing, capital of neighboring Jiangsu Province.

The fishing festival will last until the Spring Festival. It is estimated that 500,000 kilograms of fish will be caught to meet demand for fish.