A winter fishing festival attracts a large crowd in Baidian town, Hai'an, Nantong. [Photo/WeChat account: hafbwx]

The Xibo Rural Tourism Cluster in Baidian town, Hai'an, hosted a spectacular winter fishing festival on Jan 19. This festival blended traditional fishing culture with modern folk traditions. Visitors from across China gathered to experience this winter celebration, rich with water-town charm and cultural heritage. 

Expert fishermen had pinpointed the prime spots for a bountiful catch. At the sound of a commanding chant, they worked in unison to haul up massive nets teeming with fish, including herring, grass carp, and silver carp. Beyond the nets, cormorants took center stage, diving gracefully into the water under fishermen's guidance and emerging with fish, which they delivered to waiting boats.

Freshly caught fish quickly drew crowds of visitors eager to select, weigh, and purchase the prized "fortune fish" to take home for the upcoming Chinese New Year. The festival's highlight, a "Fish King Auction", saw a 33-kilogram fish sold for an impressive 28,000 yuan ($3,846.38) to Wang Jinfeng, general manager of Nantong Yawei Machine, an equipment manufacturer in Hai'an.

The event also featured a bustling market showcasing local agricultural products, festive goods, and lively activities like riddle-solving. The aroma of stewed fish from giant pots added to the festive atmosphere.

With its vibrant mix of traditions, folk customs, and community spirit, the winter fishing festival offered a vivid display of the region's fishing heritage, rural prosperity, and the season's joy.