Ice-fishing season has begun on Northeast China’s Chagan Lake. Tens of thousands of visitors are gathering on the frozen lake to learn more about the centuries-old fishing culture.

Every year on December 28th, the fishermen cast their huge nets through the holes on the ice. This year, a 4,000 square-meter market has been set up on the ice for the first time, and there is increasing cooperation with e-commerce firms to boost sales of the fish.

While the throngs of visitors are boosting tourism for the villages around the lake, they are causing large traffic jams. The local government says it is deploying more personnel to ensure safety and order.

The lake Chagan, meaning “holy water” in Mongolian, is home to 70 different species of fish because of its water purity.