Winter fishing season starts at Dalinor Lake in Inner Mongolia

The winter fishing season started at Dalinor Lake in Chifeng, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Sunday, with some 26,000 kilograms of fish caught by three fishing teams working on the frozen lake.

Dalinor Lake, a high-altitude alkaline inland lake, is renowned for its abundant fish species, including Huazi fish and crucian carp. Thanks to its unique climate, water quality, and ecological environment, the lake has become a hub for winter fishing.

In 2011, the "Dalinor Lake Winter Fishing Tradition" was listed as part of Inner Mongolia's third batch of intangible cultural heritage.

In the early morning, with temperatures plunging to around minus 25 degrees Celsius, teams from the Dalinor Lake Fishery venture to the center of the frozen lake to begin their day's work.

Winter fishing at Dalinor Lake follows a well-organized process. The first task for the team upon reaching the center of the lake is to identify the site for the netting holes.

"Based on years of fishing experience, this location should be safe for setting the net. The distance between the entry and exit points of the net is roughly two to three kilometers. We lower the net in deeper water and retrieve it in shallower areas," said Bao Fuchang, captain of a fishing team at the Dalinor Lake Fishery.

Once the location is determined, the team uses ice chisels to drill holes through the half-meter-thick ice at intervals of 35 meters. As they work, they clear out ice shards, before setting the fishing net under the ice.

"We've adjusted the net to have an eight-centimeter mesh size. This ensures we catch larger, mature fish while releasing the smaller ones, which is an important way to protect fishery resources," said Bao.

Once the front section of the net reaches the exit hole, the team switches to using a winch and a tractor to slowly pull the net out of the icy water. The fish are then removed from the net and placed into containers.

This year's winter fishing season at Dalinor Lake is expected to last for one month, with a projected total catch of 200,000 kilograms.

Winter fishing season starts at Dalinor Lake in Inner Mongolia

Homegrown snow gear and facilities are now helping resorts across China provide better services to skiers who are expecting domestic brands to roll out more high-quality and thoughtful products that fit better with habits of Asian users.

The rising demand of Chinese skiers is boosted by a growing market with industry reports predicting that the country's ice and snow economy will surpass 1 trillion yuan (about 140 billion U.S. dollars) by 2025.

Since hitting the slope is no longer a niche sport, resorts across China receive an increasing influx of snow enthusiasts. In particular, the Beidahu Ski Resort, one of the best destinations for skiers in northeast China's Jilin Province, is welcoming up to 10,000 snow enthusiasts daily.

Eleven of the 13 cable cars in the resort were designed and produced in China. Running six meters per second, it takes only 12 minutes for them to carry the skiers up to the mountaintop.

"As wind resistance and speed of the cable cars were significantly improved, their quality almost matches the imported products," said Yan Shuai, marketing director of the Beidahu Ski Resort.

Homegrown snowboards made with carbon fiber and protective gear featuring high-tech fabrics are also winning Chinese customers' favor and many of the updated goods are specially designed for Asian users.

"The ski goggle has three layers of sponge padding, which help it fit better with the faces of Asian users and effectively minimize lens fogging during skiing," said Jia Xiaona, a store manager.

As winter sports become increasingly popular in China, domestic brands are receiving increasing anticipation from skiers who believe that it is quality that will finally help homegrown products to win over customers.

"I think many snowboarders feel that Chinese brands need to deliver standout performance to truly impress. Once they do, confidence in these brands will certainly grow. I think the shift will take some time, because we have relied on imported snowboards for so many years," said Li Jiongxuan, a snowboarder from north China's Tianjin Municipality.

Homegrown snow gear, facilities help improve skiing experience in China