Chagan Lake (China)

For the lake in Kazakhstan, see Lake Chagan (Kazakhstan).

Chagan Lake
Location	Jilin, China
Coordinates	45°15′N 124°17′E / 45.25°N 124.28°E / 45.25; 124.28Coordinates: 45°15′N 124°17′E / 45.25°N 124.28°E / 45.25; 124.28
Basin countries	China
Surface area	480 km2
Water volume	700,000,000 cubic meters

Chagan Lake (Chinese: 查干湖) is a lake in Jilin, China. The name "Chagan" is from Mongolian, meaning sacred, pure or white, so the lake is often referred to as Sacred Lake or Holy Water Lake (聖水湖) by local people. The lake is known for traditional winter fishing that dates back to prehistoric times.

Chagan Zhuoer Winter Fishing Tradition

Chagan Lake is the only place that saves the oldest Mongolia fishing method. It is listed as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage of the People's Republic of China.

The annual Winter Fishing Festival is held to remember the old winter fishing tradition. Fishermen first drill many holes through the thick ice and then place net under the ice. The Lake set a Guinness World Record of a single net that yielded 104,500 kg fish in 2005, and broke its own by 168,000 kg of fish in 2008.

References

• Chagan Winter Fishing Festival