Protecting North China’s Chagan Lake
Measures to safeguard natural resources, promote eco-tourism have proved beneficial and effective
Every year for over a millennium, fishermen have braved the subzero temperatures, biting winds and deep snow of Songyuan, a city in Northeast China’s Jilin province, to search for an underwater fortune at Chagan Lake — one of the biggest freshwater lakes in the country.
Chagan, which is also referred to by locals as the “Holy Water Lake”, is the only place in China where you can still find fishermen using a Mongolian fishing method that dates back centuries. The method, which is listed as a form of National Intangible Cultural Heritage, has barely changed over time.
Holes are drilled in the ice to lower a massive 2-kilometer-long net into position underwater. Once it fills up with fish, the net is hauled out of the water using a capstan turned by Mongolian horses. The biggest fish of the season’s first catch sells for a large sum of money, marking the official start of the winter fishing season. This year’s fish, which was caught on Dec 28 during the 20th Chagan Lake Ice and Snow Fishing and Hunting Cultural Tourism Festival, sold for 2,999,999 yuan ($455,337) at the auction.
As it is important to ensure that this tradition can continue without damaging the lake’s ecology, starting this year, the money earned from the auction will be donated to the Chagan Lake Ecological Environmental Protection Charity Fund, Global Times reported. It will then be used to purchase fish fry to restock the lake. As they mature, the fry will ensure that there is always a stable population of healthy fish for fishermen to catch.
Chagan is located in the Qianguoerluosi Mongolian autonomous county, or Qianguo county. Since 2018, county authorities have spent 2.6 billion yuan on protecting natural resources, including the lake. Wetlands have been restored, 30 million fry have been introduced to Chagan, and numerous projects to protect the forests, fields, and lakes in Qianguo have been implemented.
The initiative is one of many that have taken place around China in recent years to protect the country’s vast natural resources.
It has not always been easy to protect places like Chagan.
According to Yan Laisuo, a staff member of the Chagan Lake Tourism and Economic Development Zone, the lake nearly dried up in the 1970s after being cut off from its water source. Fishermen were forced to give up their annual tradition and take on odd jobs to survive. But in 1976, the local government rallied the people to build a canal.
After eight years of construction, the canal was able to bring water from the Songhua River to Chagan. Decades later, the lake’s total area has expanded to 400 square kilometers. In 2013, Jilin started a river-lake connection project, linking Chagan to surrounding lakes and rivers, making the lake’s water even cleaner and clearer.
Other problems have plagued Chagan over the years, including pollution from chemical fertilizer and pesticide runoff from farms. The region is arid and gets little to no rainfall. The development of tourism, which brings millions of people to the area every year, also had an impact.
But these problems have been solved through the implementation of projects that have allowed environmental protection, agriculture and tourism to develop in tandem.
In particular, the construction of a town focused on eco-friendly tourism has helped development. Located 13 km away from the Chagan Lake Reserve, the Chagan Lake Ecological Town offers accommodations, dining, sightseeing and other tourist-oriented businesses that have increased local incomes and made it more convenient for people to visit the area. It is powered by green energy — specifically, wind power and biogas — and according to Zhang Guannan, a clerk at the town’s construction office, this has reduced the environmental burden on the lake, as farms and tourism projects that were previously affecting the environment have been removed or relocated.
Tourism brought in 1.65 billion yuan last year, putting money in local pockets and allowing more visitors to share in the beauty of Chagan. All of this was achieved without harming the lake or the animal and plant life that call it home.
Now, the fishermen are free to do what they have done for centuries past — bag the biggest fish possible and share it with their family and friends.