Fuxian Lake Kanglang Fish

Fuxian Lake Kanglang Fish

Fuxian Lake Kanglang Fish is a product with a geographical indication for agricultural products.

　　Fuxian Lake Kanglang Fish is a specialty of Fuxian Lake in Yuxi City, Yunnan Province. The Kanglang Fish is a native species to Fuxian Lake, renowned for its tender meat, soft bones, and delicious flavor—once tasted, it’s unforgettable.

　　The Kanglang Fish is small and slender, measuring 3–4 inches in length, shaped like an arrow, and silver-white in color. It prefers to inhabit deep underwater caves or gravel beds. The living habits of the Kanglang Fish are cloaked in a strong air of mystery. From the beginning of the Lichun (Start of Spring) solar term to the Liqiu (Start of Autumn) solar term each year is its spawning season, locally referred to as the "fish rush period." Since the Kanglang Fish’s eggs are semi-sticky and must attach to sand, stones, or rocky reefs—and only the lakeshore provides such conditions—they swim from the deep waters to the shallow shores during the arrival of spring, especially after rainfall, to lay their eggs on the rocky outcrops. They arrive in large, spectacular schools that blanket the shallows, then after spawning, they return to the deep waters, vanishing without a trace. Their coming and going follow a distinct pattern known as "three days in, seven days out." That is, they come for three days, leave for seven, and gradually become scarce after the Liqiu solar term until they disappear entirely, not reappearing until the next Lichun.

　　The main fishing season for the Fuxian Lake specialty Kanglang Fish is from March to September each year. 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 lake water perfectly match the living preferences of the competitive, clear-water-loving Kanglang Fish, causing them to gather and swim eagerly upstream, where they enter bamboo traps pre-set by fishermen in the flowing channels and are thus caught. This fishing method has been passed down through generations, ancient and unique, and is called "water-wheel fishing." During the fish rush season, hundreds of pounds of fish can be caught daily from each cave. At the peak of the season, Kanglang Fish instinctively gather in groups to spawn on the sandy gravel shallow areas near the lakeshore. Fishermen then dig a sand trench about one meter wide, several meters long, and over 30 centimeters deep along the lakeside slopes, with one end leading straight into the lake. Small stones are used to create horizontal barriers inside the trench, resembling the “fences” local fishermen use to dry fish. Then, using a wooden water wheel at the other end of the trench, water is drawn from the lake, channeled through the trench, and returned to the lake (called a water-turning tunnel). At this point, fish from the lake will swim upstream along the trench toward the incoming water. When enough fish have entered the trench, the water wheel is stopped, the remaining water seeps away through the gravel, and the lively fish are left trapped and ready to be collected. This method is called “fence-trench fishing.” In some sections along the shores of Fuxian Lake, sandy beaches extend directly over cliffs that plunge several meters into the water. To catch fish among the rocky crevices in such waters, locals invented “scented-bundle fishing.” During the fish rush season, fishermen tie bundles of locally picked “fragrant sesame” grass onto sticks and insert them into the cracks in the rocks. The Kanglang Fish, drawn by the scent of the grass, swim into the bundles and are thus captured.

　　The fishing methods at Mingxing Fish Cave are rustic and unique, and the way the fish is prepared is also distinctive. Fishermen place live Kanglang Fish into a copper pot filled with spring water, allowing them to swim freely before placing the pot over a fire to cook. As the water temperature rises, the live fish gradually die and are eventually cooked through. After about twenty minutes, the aroma becomes irresistible, and when special seasonings are added, the taste is extraordinarily fresh, delicious, and satisfying.