The 2020 Xianghu Lake Fishing Festival begins on Jan 18 at the Xianghu scenic area in Hangzhou. [Photo/zj.zjol.com.cn]

The 2020 Xianghu Lake Fishing Festival began on Jan 18 at the Xianghu scenic area in Hangzhou.

Xianghu Lake has historically been renowned for its aquatic products. The popular fish market in the area has even been depicted in literary work from the Song Dynasty (420-479).

The annual fishing festival featured the auctioning off of the "fish king", the largest fish caught during the festival.

This year's "fish king" weighed 38 kilograms and was sold at a price of 55,800 yuan ($8,137). However, the winning bidder decided to release the "fish king" back into Xianghu Lake.

Another highlight of the festival was a large pot with a diameter of 5.6 meters. Twelve well-known cooks were invited to make fish balls and soup for visitors using the pot.

Other festive activities have also been held in the Xianghu Lake scenic area, including a lantern festival.