Chagan Lake (chá gàn hú 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 by local people. The lake is known for traditional winter fishing that date back to prehistoric times. Chagan Zhuoer (chá gàn nào ěr 查干淖尔) 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.

 

Chagan Lake is a large water moor, which is also called Chagan Zhuoer. The lake is connecting to the three lakes, Xindian (xīn diàn 辛甸) Lake, Xinmiao (xīn miào 新庙) Lake and Kuli (kù lǐ 库里) Lake, which are in the nearby. It is one of the ten most famous fresh water lakes in China. Chagan Lake is also the largest landlocked lake in Jilin Province. The lake is 37 kilometers long from the north to the south and 17 kilometers side from the east to the west. The bank of the lake is winding in various forms. It is as long as 128 kilometers. The environment surrounding the lake is very elegant and attractive. The sights nearby are beautiful and delicate. It is the famous base of fishery industry, reed products and natural tourist sites in Jilin Province.

Chagan Lake is a well-known fishing base, a bulrush growing area and natural holiday resort. There are 68 kinds of fish, including carp, chub and crucial. It is a paradise for wild animals that have chosen the rich habitat of Chagan Lake. Foxes, rabbits, wolves, snakes and birds, such as pheasants, cormorants, swans and red-crowned cranes make a home there. In the vast grasslands there grows more than 200 kinds of wild plants, 150 of which are valuable herbs.  And when it is coming the famous Winter Fishing Festival, there are many travelors to come here to see it.

 

The natural reserve covers an area as large as 480 square kilometers. The core area of the natural reserve locates in Xindian Lake, where thick reeds grow all over. Xindian Lake is one of the main sites where the birds inhabit. While the transition area lies from the area of Jiaxinzi (jiá xīn zǐ 夹芯子) Island in Chagan Lake northward to the water area of Xindian Lake. And the production experimental area lies in the water areas of Xinmiao Lake (Xinmiao means new temple), Kuli Lake, Lingjiao (líng jiǎo 菱角) (Lingjiao means water chestnut) Lake and the southern area of Jiaxinzi Island Chagan Lake.

As the never ending jobs of protecting environment go on and on, the area where plants are growing and forests are forming is increasing year by year. The vegetation of the whole area is recovered as before. The broken bank of the lakes is repaired and reconstructed. The amount of the birds is obviously increasing. The State Key Birds under Protection such as Chinese goosanders, white swans etc come to the natural reserve to inhabit and multiply year after year.

 

Location: in the northwest of Qianguoluosi Mongolia Autonomous County (qián guō ěr luó sī méng gǔ zú zì zhì xiàn 前郭尔罗斯蒙古族自治县)

Transportation: take bus to Qianguo County at Songyuan Bus Station

Admission Fee: CNY 20