China's famous Cha-gan Lake fishing season is underway in the northeastern province of Jilin. How the area is welcoming the thousands of tourists who flock there every winter?
Local restaurant owner, Jiang Limin has a new fish tank, where he will keep the fresh fish on display during the New Year holiday.
"Fresh ones can be sold at a better price than when they're frozen," said Jiang Limin, restaurant owner of Cha-gan Lake, Jilin Province.
With a growing reputation, the lake attracts thousands of visitors every year; the fish are renowned for their tenderness -- they're fat, but not greasy, their taste is quite unique. Customers keep coming back for more.
"You can feel the changes here, from the business boom and the refurbished houses to the people brimming with positivity," said Pan Yue, customer of Guandong Fish King Restaurant, Cha-gan Lake.
Every year, from the end of December until the Spring Festival, there's large-scale winter fishing on Chagan Lake. The culture of fishing and hunting has been kept alive for centuries. It's brought something very unique to the area...
"The roads have been widened and the villages around the lake are more accessible. I think what draws people to Chagan Lake is not just the fishing, but the local history and culture," Jiang said.
Last winter, more than 100 million yuan was spent by tourists in the Chagan lake area, and this is a number expected to rise this winter.
For the Chagan Lake fishermen, the day starts early and ends late, but the catch makes the day worthwhile. The prosperity here shows how the locals allow the fishing and tourism industries to work so well together.
