Qingchun Lake Hairy Crabs

Qingchun Lake Hairy Crabs

　　Qingchun Lake Hairy Crabs are a specialty of Nanwu Township, Yanling County, Xuchang City, Henan Province. When it comes to Qingchun Lake Hairy Crabs, quite a few people in the surrounding counties and cities of Yanling are familiar with them.

　　About 25 kilometers south of Yanling County, to the north of Qigang Village, there is a lake covering an area of 800 acres. It is connected to the Qingliu River, which flows through Nanwu Township. In the late 1950s, it was excavated by educated youths and villagers from nearby villages, hence the name "Qingchun Lake" (Youth Lake).

　　Nanwu Township signed an agreement with Zhengzhou Bank of China Investment Co., Ltd., introducing over 10 million yuan in investment to develop more than 400 acres of water surface at Qingchun Lake. They released 400,000 hairy crab seedlings, yielding 40,000 kilograms of fresh crabs annually. The successful development of Qingchun Lake Hairy Crabs has greatly enhanced the visibility of Nanwu Township and has become a highlight of the city's aquaculture industry. By 2010, Nanwu Township had successfully held six Hairy Crab Festivals, boosting agritourism activities such as leisure, fishing, and crab tasting. According to incomplete statistics, the Hairy Crab Festival receives over 30,000 visitors annually, generating comprehensive tourism revenue of more than 2 million yuan.