Chagan Lake

Jilin's largest inland lake, where horse-drawn winches haul in tonnes of fish during the winter fishing festival. Its lake-worship and net-awakening ritual is national intangible cultural heritage, and in summer lotus wetlands stretch across the shore.

Chagan Lake lies in the northwest of Qian Gorlos Mongol Autonomous County, Songyuan, Jilin Province. Its Mongolian name, Chagan Nur, means "white lake". Covering about 420 km², it is Jilin's largest inland lake, a national nature reserve and a national 5A-rated (top-tier) scenic area. During the Liao and Jin dynasties emperors came here for their spring hunting and fishing camps (chunnabo), and the Mongolian winter fishing ceremony of "worshipping the lake and awakening the nets" survives to this day; the Chagan Nur winter fishing custom is listed as national intangible cultural heritage. The climate is temperate continental monsoon, with bitterly cold winters (January averages around -17°C) and cool summers. There are two best times to visit: from late December to January for the Ice and Snow Fishing and Hunting Culture Festival, when you can watch horse-drawn winches pull in the nets, the auction of the first fish and activities on the ice; and July–August for the Lotus Festival, when boardwalks wind through continuous wetlands and lotus ponds. Spring and autumn bird migrations make for good birdwatching. The lake divides into three main areas: the core resort zone on the south shore, home to Miaoyin Temple, the Genghis Khan Zhao (temple), the Gorlos Prince's Mansion Exhibition Hall and the Fishing and Hunting Culture Museum, all linked on foot or by short shuttle; the Chagan Lake Fishery and winter fishing ice on the north shore, where the fishing site moves each year depending on ice conditions, so check that year's announcements; and sights further afield, including the Liao-dynasty Tahu City ruins, Longhua Temple in downtown Songyuan and the Qian'an Mud Forest Geopark, which make a good one-day self-drive loop. Getting there: high-speed trains from Changchun to Songyuan take about 1 hour; Songyuan city is about 60 km from the lake, roughly 1 hour by car, and scenic-area shuttle buses run during the winter fishing festival. Chagan Lake Station on the Changchun–Baicheng railway is another option. Allow 1–2 days, or 3 days in winter fishing season if you add Longhua Temple and the Mud Forest. Tips: to watch the nets come in you need to set off before dawn; wind chill on the ice can reach -30°C, so wear insulated boots, bring heat packs and keep your phone from shutting down in the cold. Follow on-site instructions on the ice and never wander into closed areas. The all-fish banquet and bighead carp are must-try dishes, and accommodation is tight during festivals, so book ahead.

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