Even in a Recession, Sold for 260 Million Won per Fish... What is the 'Lucky Fish'?

The "lucky fish" caught at a representative winter festival in Northeast China was auctioned off for 26 million won. The winning bid, which had risen to around 50 million won in 2021, recorded the lowest price since 2019, leading to interpretations that it reflects China's economic downturn.

The inter-car nurse 'Lucky Fish' sold for 260 million won [Source=Captured from Jilin News]

According to local Chinese media on the 29th, the first fish caught at the opening of the "22nd Chagan Lake Ice Fishing Festival" the previous day was sold at auction for 1,399,999 yuan (approximately 25.5 million won) to an agricultural company in Henan Province.

Chagan Lake, located in Songyuan City, Jilin Province, is one of China's top ten freshwater lakes. Every winter, the Mongolian traditional fishing method is famous, where holes are drilled in the ice and nets up to 2,000 meters long are cast to catch fish. At one time, 168,000 kg of fish were caught in a single net haul, earning a place in the Guinness World Records.

At the annual ice fishing festival held around this time at Chagan Lake, the first fish caught, called the "lucky fish," is considered a symbol of good fortune and is often sold for a large sum at auction. In 2021, it was auctioned for 54.7 million won, setting a record high.

However, due to strict quarantine controls amid the COVID-19 pandemic last year, the price dropped to about 31 million won. This year's winning bid is the lowest since 2019, reflecting the impact of the economic recession.

Meanwhile, the Chagan Lake festival will continue for two months until the end of February next year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.