Starfish Cave

Starfish Cave

Starfish Cave is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

Starfish Cave features over a hundred fish caves distributed along nearly a thousand meters of the Fuxian Lake shoreline, situated around springs beneath the rocky cliffs. From March to September each year, it is the peak season for catching the lake’s specialty — the fighting fish (kuanglang yu). Local fishermen use wooden water wheels to draw spring water from tree-shaded cave springs, channeling it through ditches into the lake. The temperature difference and flow rate between the spring water and the lake water perfectly match the living habits of the competitive and clear-water-loving fighting fish. Drawn to the flowing water, the fish gather and swim upstream, entering bamboo traps pre-set in the channels by the fishermen. This fishing method, passed down through generations, is ancient and unique, known as “water-wheel fishing.” During the fishing season, each cave can yield hundreds of pounds of fish daily. At the height of the season, fighting fish instinctively gather in shallow sandy areas along the shore to spawn. Fishermen then dig a sand trench about one meter wide, several meters long, and over 30 centimeters deep along the lakeside slope, with the lower end leading directly into the lake. Small stones are used to create horizontal barriers inside the trench, resembling the “fences” fishermen use to dry fish. A wooden water wheel is then used at the other end of the trench to draw water from the lake, channeling it back in (known as a “turning water cave”). This attracts fish from the lake to swim upstream through the trench. When enough fish have entered, the water wheel is stopped, the remaining water seeps away through the sand, and the lively fish are left trapped and easily caught. This method is called “fence trench fishing.” In some sections along Fuxian Lake, the shoreline features sandy beaches where rocky cliffs extend several meters directly into the water. To catch fish hiding among the rocks and crevices in such waters, locals have developed “scented bait fishing.” During the fishing season, fishermen tie bundles of locally picked “fragrant sesame” grass onto sticks and insert them into the rocky crevices. The fighting fish, attracted by the scent, swim into the bundles and are caught.

The fishing methods at Starfish Cave are simple yet unique, and so is the way the fish are prepared. Fishermen place live fighting fish into a copper pot filled with spring water, allowing them to swim freely before heating the pot over a fire. As the water temperature rises, the live fish gradually die and are eventually cooked. After about twenty minutes, the aroma wafts through the air, and when special seasonings are added, the fish tastes particularly fresh and delicious.