Chagan Lake Winter Fishing

Chagan Lake covers around four hundred square kilometres, and the winter fishing practised here descends from methods recorded under the Liao and Jin dynasties: teams cut a grid of holes through ice a metre thick, thread a net two kilometres long beneath it using poles passed hole to hole, and haul it out with horse-driven capstans, bringing up tens of thousands of kilograms of fish in a single draw. The opening ceremony each winter includes a Mongolian ritual led by a fish-head chief, and the first fish is auctioned for large sums. The practice is recognised as intangible cultural heritage. Temperatures during the season run around minus twenty to minus thirty.

What you actually see

• The net haul - a two-kilometre net drawn under the ice by horse-powered winches.
• The opening ceremony - the Mongolian ritual that starts the season.
• The ice grid - the pattern of cut holes across the frozen lake.
• The catch - tens of thousands of kilograms of fish brought up at once.

When to go

Late December to January, when the festival runs and the ice is thick enough; hauls take place on set days rather than continuously, so timing with the schedule matters. Temperatures are extreme and the lake fully exposed.

Honest expectations

Cold at minus twenty-five on an open lake is severe and requires proper clothing. The hauls happen on announced days and finding the schedule in advance is difficult from outside China. The event is heavily attended and increasingly staged for visitors.

Nearby

Songyuan lies east; Changchun is southeast.