Although signs prohibit passage, tourists still visit the ice sculptures prepared for the upcoming Winter Fishing Festival on Wulong Lake.
On January 10, an off-road vehicle driving on the frozen surface of Wulong Lake in Kangping County broke through the ice and plunged into the lake, resulting in the deaths of a family of three among the six people in the vehicle.
After multiple vehicles sank into the lake, culminating in the tragic deaths of the Zhang Haiming family, the load-bearing capacity of the ice at the Wulong Lake Winter Fishing Festival has become a major concern.
To locate the site where Zhang Haiming perished, five reporters from our newspaper, equipped with compasses, ventured into Wulong Lake on foot via multiple routes. Experienced ice fishermen also shared insights on ice safety.
During days of on-site reporting, journalists explored various parts of Wulong Lake. Ice cracks, dense fog, and extreme cold all left a deep impression. Locals say these are also what make the frozen lake dangerous.
■ Exploration
Walking on the lake, the ice beneath your feet crackles
Extreme Cold
Venturing into the seemingly endless frozen lake, one can feel that the temperature is much lower than onshore. Without constant movement, extremities can go numb within ten minutes.
Wang, a fisherman from Chagan Lake area, is now the ice fishing leader at Wulong Lake, specializing in predicting fish movements to help fishermen set their nets accurately.
He explained that the low temperatures on the lake are due to the ice absorbing heat from below, as well as the strong winds with no shelter on the surface. Without proper cold protection, frostbite is likely. Traditionally, during winter fishing, people wear thick sheepskin coats.
Dense Fog
During multiple visits to Wulong Lake, reporters encountered fog and snow, both of which severely reduced visibility on the ice. Even on slightly clearer days, after just 30 minutes on the lake, the departure shore was no longer visible.
Reporters even experienced the phenomenon known as “ghost walling.” With the ice and sky blending into one color, two hours after setting out, they found themselves circling back to a village on the edge of Wulong Lake. Villagers said this is called “ghost walling,” meaning getting lost and walking in circles. “It’s good if you manage to circle back; it’s only dangerous if you can’t,” they said.
To help winter fishing workers navigate safely, the festival organizing committee placed colored flags in the ice as route markers. These markers extended deep into the frozen lake, disappearing into the distance. Staff explained that the markers led to the fishing operation zone, and vehicles also traveled along these routes.
Ice Cracks
Massive ice cracks on the frozen lake can be deadly.
Starting from the shore and venturing deeper into the ice, the further into Wulong Lake one goes, the more cracks and trapped air bubbles in the ice become visible. Large, solid stretches of ice without any cracks—about the size of a bed—are rare.
From above, most of the ice is broken up into wheel-sized segments by spiderweb-like cracks, and there are also vertical fissures in the ice layers.
Through the vertical cracks, reporters observed that the ice on Wulong Lake is approximately 30 to 60 centimeters thick. Walking on the ice, frequent “thuds” and “cracks” can be heard from below.
■ Analysis
Currently, the ice on Wulong Lake is relatively safe
While walking on the ice during the interview, reporters could continuously hear cracking sounds beneath their feet.
Fish leader Wang explained: “These are normal ice cracks, nothing to worry about. This winter has been very cold, so the ice at this time of year is at least 30 centimeters thick, and up to 1 meter in the thickest spots. There’s a saying: ‘Better to walk on a finger-width of ice in frozen rivers than on a foot-thick sheet in thawing season.’ In winter, when the ice forms, it has a horizontal structure and is very strong. But in spring, even though the ice may be around 20 centimeters thick, its strength is lower because the internal structure becomes vertical. Generally speaking, from the Start of Winter to the Spring Festival, the ice is safe.”
According to the fish leader, it is currently quite safe to walk, and even drive, on the ice of Wulong Lake.
■ Precautions
Ice thickness tested 8 times daily
So how can safety be ensured without the ice-reading experience of seasoned fishermen? To address this, Kangping County has established a dedicated ice measurement team. Li Kuishan, deputy director of the Wulong Lake Development Zone Management Committee in Kangping County, stated that the team consists of technical staff from the county’s Water Resources Bureau, who conduct at least eight ice tests per day and issue warnings to the organizing committee.
Given the current temperatures at Wolong Lake, ice 30 to 60 centimeters thick can support pedestrians (thinner ice is acceptable if people are using ice sleds or skates); ice 65 to 70 centimeters thick can support vehicles, with wheeled vehicles weighing up to 30 tons and tracked vehicles up to 50 tons able to operate safely.