The amur ide, a fish species endemic to China's saline Dali Nur lake, is battling for survival as it undertakes its annual spawning migration upstream to find a habitable water for laying eggs.
Vast shoals of the small freshwater fish crowd together fighting their way against the flow on a perilous journey of up to 60 kilometers to spawn in the Gonggeer River, which is in the upper reaches of Dalai Nur.
Where there is an obstacle, the amur ide will jump up to half meter out of the water.
"The water in Dalai Nur has a much higher salinity and alkalinity compared with regular river water. And we found that the fish egg envelopes will soon shrink inside the lake water because of this hypertonic environment, and then there will be some developmental abnormalities like malformation. So in general, river water is critical for Amul ide fish -- it has to go into the river to breed," said Wang Ruifang, a professor of aquaculture at Inner Mongolia Agriculture University.
The fish migration also aids exhausted migratory birds that rely on them for nutrients after long flights, aguaculture experts say.
For the amur ide, this year's migration season lasts around a month and is nearing its end, according to local authorities. Efforts have been made by local environmental authorities to dredge rivers to ease their passage.
Amur ide embarks on perilous journey upstream for reproduction
A group of 30 young people from Taiwan, organized by the Ma Ying-jeou Culture and Education Foundation, have recently attended a series of Confucian cultural events in east China's Shandong Province, contributing to strengthening communication between young people from the mainland and Taiwan, and helping promote cross-Strait relations.
On Monday, the 2025 Cross-Strait Confucius Cultural Spring Gathering opened in Qufu City of Shandong, the birthplace of Confucius. The youth delegation, along with Hsiao Hsu-tsen, executive director of the foundation, attended the launch ceremony.
On Tuesday morning, the delegation watched a Confucius memorial ceremony at the city's Temple of Confucius, where they offered floral baskets and recited classical texts to honor the ancient Chinese philosopher.
Confucius (551 BC - 479 BC) was ancient China’s most famous teacher, philosopher and political theorist, whose ideas have profoundly influenced the civilizations of China and other East Asian countries.
Kung Tsui-chang, a direct 79th-generation descendant of Confucius from Taiwan who also traveled with the youth delegation, expressed his hope that similar cultural exchanges would help strengthen ties between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.
"The youths from Taiwan and the mainland performed the rituals and played the ritual music together. This cultural resonance transcends language and is the most vivid explanation of our shared cultural root. I believe that by sustained cultural dialogue, compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits, while jointly safeguarding the common cultural root, will enhance mutual understanding, build consensus, and inject more positive energy into cross-Strait peace and national rejuvenation," said Kung, also president of the Confucius Foundation.
During their stay in Shandong, the delegation also participated in other exchange activities in the cities of Tai'an, Qingdao, Zaozhuang, and Jinan.
Taiwan's youth delegation attends Confucian cultural events in mainland
