Anglers in China's northernmost province, Heilongjiang, kicked off the annual Winter Fishing Festival on Tuesday, celebrating the time-honored tradition of fishing, hunting and praying for a bountiful year ahead.

As dawn broke in Jixi City, located in the southeastern part of the province, a team of anglers arrived at frozen Lake Xingkai and started chiseling through the ice to drop their fishing nets into the icy water below.
As noon approached, flocks of tourists gathered on the frozen lake to watch the anglers hauling in their nets full of fish, including a famous white fish known as the Topmouth culter or culter alburnus.
The culter is known for its exceptionally tasty meat with a crab-like fragrance when it is steamed. Locals said the fish feeds on smaller fish and shrimps and grows in a lake without pollution, making it extremely delicious.
Local people also set up pots on site to boil the fish, offering tourists a taste of fresh fish and some hot soup to warm them up in the freezing yet festive atmosphere.
Similar vibrant scenes with cheers and jubilation from tourists and anglers were also seen in cities such as Mudanjiang, Suihua, Qiqihar and Qitaihe across the province.
"This year's winter harvest has been a good one, as anglers, we are very satisfied. We wish everyone a bumper harvest in the new year. Everyone is filled with joy," said angler Wen Haigang.
Meanwhile, scientists from the Heilongjiang River Aquatic Products Research Institute at the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences in the provincial capital Harbin have been busy conducting research on the artificial breeding of Chinese sturgeon, which is a unique local fish specialty.
"Our staff are working on out-of-season production of sturgeon fingerlings. Normally, sturgeon reproduction occurs around May each year, making it a period for concentrated supply of fingerlings. To ensure a balance between supply and demand, we have conducted research on sturgeon reproductive biology and identified optimal parameters, which enable us to achieve out-of-season production and ensure a stable supply of sturgeon fingerlings throughout the year," said Li Shaowu, deputy director of the Heilongjiang River Aquatic Products Research Institute.