Chagan Lake is the only place in which the oldest of Mongolian fishing methods is preserved. It is listed as a National
Intangible Cultural Heritage of the People's Republic of China. The annual Winter Fishing Festival is held to keep this ancient tradition alive. Fishermen first drill many holes through the thick ice and then use these holes to carefully position a 2 km net under the ice. The net and its catch is then hauled out of the largest hole by means of a
capstan (see also
Whim (mining)) turned by
Mongolian horses. The Lake set a
Guinness World Record of a single net that yielded of fish in 2006, and broke its own record with of fish in 2009. The principal species thus netted is the
Bighead carp - a popular food fish, particularly at the
Chinese New Year, when the consumption of fish is considered to bring good fortune in the year to come. == See also ==