Fishermen catch fish at the opening ceremony of the 11th Jingpo Lake Winter Fishing Festival and the first Jingpo Lake Ice Fishing Challenge in Mudanjiang, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 15, 2026. (People's Daily Online/Su Jinggang)
As the nets emerged, fish leapt from the ice holes, sending puffs of white mist into the air and creating a dramatic scene that drew crowds of tourists eager to capture the moment.
Winter fishing at Jingpo Lake dates back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907), when local communities developed the techniques to survive harsh winters. Today, the festival has grown into a nationally recognized cultural event.
The festival once set a record with a single-net catch of 430 tonnes. This year, the first net yielded about 14 tonnes, with the prized "first fish" weighing more than 5 kilograms.