Offer Expired
Waiting for operator update
Where– Chagan Lake, Jilin Province, China
What– Chagan Lake located in northeastern China is the largest inland lake in Jilin Province. The name “Chagan" is from Mongolian, meaning sacred, pure or white, so the lake is often referred to as Sacred Lake or Holy Water Lake by local people. 
Chagan Lake is the only place that saves the oldest Mongolia fishing method. It is listed as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage of the People’s Republic of China. The fine water quality and well-protected environment make the lake a heaven for fish and shrimp. The annual number of fish produced here reaches 3000 tons.
People here have made a living by fishing in Chagan Lake for thousands of years, especially during the long severe winters. The large number of fish in the lake feed people here and provide them with extra money to cover their living expenses. A ceremony is held before the start of the winter fishing season each year to give thanks to the gods and pray for a bountiful catch and the fishermen’s personal safety.
Passed down from generation to generation, winter fishing and the Buddhist ceremony on Chagan Lake have been regarded as an interesting tourism attraction. The activity lasting 40 days produces not only fresh food for the visitors, but also gives them an opportunity to interact with nature.
During the winter fishing season, the veteran head of the fishermen determines the areas of the ice where they will dig holes to try to catch schools of fish. The fishermen dig more than 400 holes spaced 60 meters apart in the marked area. Then a 2,000-meter-long net is cast into the water and affixed to the bottom of the lake with bars and hooks. The huge net sinks into the water as the fishermen wait for the fish to appear.
Several hours later, the fishermen winch up the nets through the ice holes. Scores of fish jump from the ice and are stacked into hills. The entire procedure requires more than 60 people. If anything goes wrong at any time, the operation will fail. In 2008, a single net holding 168,000 kilos of fish broke the local record for the largest single catch.
After they drink bowls of wine, the fishermen ride on sledges, cracking their whips and rushing towards other sections of the frozen lake. Are you ready to join them and taste what nature has to offer?
How to get there:
-from Harbin, about 3.5 hours driving;
-from Changchun, about 3 hours driving;
-from Shenyang, about 5 hours driving;
-public transport such as railways and coaches are available.
