The Largest Lake in Guangdong Holds Fishing Festival, a 62-Jin First Fish Auctioned for a Sky-High Price of 580,000 RMB

Wanlu Lake Scenic Area, located in Dongyuan County, Heyuan City, Guangdong Province, is known as the backyard garden of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, named for its greenery all around and all year round.

Wanlu Lake Scenic Area covers a total area of about 1,600 square kilometers, of which the water area is 370 square kilometers, with a total water storage capacity of 13.9 billion cubic meters. There are over 360 green islands in the lake area, making it one of the few ecological tourism areas on the edge of a city in China.

Returning to Wanlu Lake for a revisit, we happened upon the 2023 Wanlu Lake Fishing Festival. This year's Wanlu Lake Fishing Festival was grandly held at the Wanlu Lake Scenic Area in Heyuan, Guangdong. Thousands of guests from all over gathered together to witness and share the joy of the fishermen's bountiful harvest and to partake in the fusion feast of Dongyuan's cultural and tourism development.

At around 10 a.m. that day, as children's voices rang out by the lakeside, the Fishing Festival kicked off with a cheerful flash mob. Drums beat on the shore, the festival officially began, and 50 fishing boats returned fully loaded, sailing towards the dock through the wind and waves. 'Fishing season begins! A great harvest!' Shouts accompanied the fishermen as they pulled up the nets cast into the lake. Thousands of fish instantly leaped out of the water, eliciting cheers and screams from the on-site visitors. The scene was bustling and lively.

Then came the 'First Fish Auction' activity. Bidders at the scene were highly enthusiastic, with bids rising in rapid succession, keeping the audience on edge. In the end, a 'first fish' weighing 62.8 jin was auctioned for 588,933 RMB. The winning entrepreneur seized the good luck and immediately announced that the fish would be released back into the lake, drawing applause and cheers from the guests.

According to the organizers, the total amount auctioned for this 'first fish' was over 960,000 RMB. The proceeds from the auction would be donated to efforts related to fishery stock enhancement and the protection of Wanlu Lake's water ecology.

Dongyuan has thrived around the lake. The local government has always made protecting the ecological environment of Wanlu Lake a top priority, vigorously promoting the 'human release, natural rearing' water management model. Through 'controlling water with fish' and 'purifying water with fish,' they ensure that the water quality of Wanlu Lake consistently meets the national Class I surface water standard, promoting ecological balance in the fishery and fostering harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

A cultural and tourism carnival was also held on-site. The Hakka rural market included themed performances, chef representatives promoting Wanlu Lake freshwater products, and promotional activities for the provincial-level Cantonese cuisine food street. Visitors could enjoy intangible cultural heritage performances characteristic of Heyuan and also taste the delicious and enticing Hakka-style whole-fish feast.

The Hakka whole-fish feast features multiple preparations of fish, using steaming, braising, frying, deep-frying, chopped pepper fish head, fish soup, and various other cooking methods. The rich variety of fish-themed cuisine was a feast for the eyes and the palate.

[Original work. Thank you for reading. Please click to follow me for more original travel articles.]