Chagannaoerdongbu Customs
01 · Historical Records
The origins of the Chagannaoer winter fishing custom can be read in two sections. The first is sacrifice: the Mongols revere heaven, the mountains, and the waters, and before taking life they must first announce it to heaven and earth; after Genghis Khan captured Tahu City he made a special journey here to offer sacrifice, and from this the lake acquired the old precedent of the lake sacrifice. The second is fishing: after the lake sacrifice there is also the rousing of the nets, in which, before the winter fishing, one confesses to the lake and the nets, promising the year's harvest to the lake and taking the coming year's risks upon oneself. Sacrifice and fishing are stacked together, and only thus did this set of practices become fixed for every winter — sacrifice first, then fishing; after fishing, sealing the nets; round and round, year after year the same.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The Chagannaoer winter fishing custom circulates in the area around Chagan Lake and Yueliangpao in Qian Gorlos Mongolian Autonomous County, Jilin Province. Chagan Lake is one of the seven great freshwater lakes of China; in Mongolian it is called "Chagannaoer," meaning "white lake" or "sacred and pure lake." The Northeast region has a long history of fishing and hunting, and Chagan Lake has always been a natural fishing and hunting ground. The Mongols worship nature and have long had the customs of sacrificing to heaven, to mountains, and to water. In 1211 AD, after Genghis Khan captured Tahu City of the Jin state, he went specially to Chagan Lake to offer sacrifice, and the lake-sacrifice rite arose from this. Afterward, in the Chagan Lake region the lake-sacrifice and net-rousing rites gradually became fixed; local fishermen, every year before the winter fishing, sacrifice to and rouse the nets, and over time the marvelous Chagannaoer winter fishing custom took shape. The Chagannaoer winter fishing custom is remarkable and its scenes spectacular, and it has been passed down from generation to generation in Qian Gorlos.
The lake rite on the frozen water
Before the nets go in, an offering is made on the ice, acknowledging the lake and accepting the risk of a poor catch.
Waking the nets
The nets are told what they will catch and how much before being pushed under the ice.
Cutting the holes and setting the nets
The master reads the ice, cuts holes at measured intervals and feeds the net along a line only he can see.
Hauling the net on the ice
The net emerges at the far hole and the catch flutters on the snow as villagers carry lamps to watch.
Sharing the catch and closing the season
The catch is divided among the shore households, then the nets are lifted and the holes closed until the next freeze.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
This custom is distributed among the lakeshore villages along Chagan Lake and Yueliangpao; each village's old methods of going out onto the ice, running the nets, and setting the nets differ slightly, and which stretch of the lake has thick ice and which patch of water holds spring eyes is largely decided by the village elders. The lake sacrifice and net rousing are usually held on a chosen day after the lake freezes and before the nets enter the water, at an unremarkable spot on the lake surface that serves as the year's place of sacrifice. The winter catch is distributed to the Mongolian people on the lakeshore, one share per family; the people who catch the fish and the people who eat it are the same familiar faces year after year. The position of fishing master is inherited from generation to generation, and among the masters setting nets on the same lake at the same time there is also a rule of mutual guarantee: they may not compete for the same patch of fish.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
This custom is a concentrated reflection of the regional folk culture and fishing-hunting culture of Qian Gorlos, and has research value in ethnology, folklore studies, and related fields. At present, changes in climate and environment and the advance of science and technology have had an enormous impact on the Chagannaoer winter fishing custom, causing this ancient-hued fishing and hunting culture to decline day by day; protection is urgently needed.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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