The opening ceremony of the 22nd Chagan Lake Fishing and Hunting Cultural Tourism Festival. [Photo provided to gojilin.gov.cn]

The 22nd Chagan Lake Fishing and Hunting Cultural Tourism Festival commenced with great fanfare on Dec 28 at Chagan Lake in Northeast China's Jilin province.

The ancient and mystical "Awakening of the Nets" ceremony narrates a legendary tale that spans back thousands of years, tracing the history of winter fishing in Chagan Lake. As horses tread upon the thick ice, slowly pulling kilometer-long fishing nets out of the water, the fresh fish create "fish mountains" for the audience to marvel at.

A worship ritual derived from ancient Mongolian culture is held at the opening ceremony. [Photo provided to gojilin.gov.cn]

This year's festival will last two months and consists of three main thematic sections: the "Ice Lake Fishing and Hunting Season", the "Ice and Snow Carnival", and the "Cultural Tourism and Trade Expo".

Newly-caught fish. [Photo provided to gojilin.gov.cn]