Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei ice fishing contest held in Yanqing

By Guo Xiaohong: 0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China.org.cn, January 6, 2020

Drill a hole for fishing on a frozen lake. The 3rd Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei ice fishing contest is held in Yanqing district, Beijing, on Jan. 5. [photo by Guo Xiaohong / China.org.cn]

Around 90 anglers braved freezing cold on Jan. 5 to take part in an ice fishing contest held in Pengyao village, Jiuxian town, a national sports and leisure town in northwestern Beijing's Yanqing district.

Veteran anglers came from Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province to take part. Wearing orange life jackets, they drilled holes through the ice to access to the water where fish were lurking.

The contest was the third of its kind organized by the Beijing Social Sports Administration Center, the fishing associations of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei and Yanqing Sports Bureau. The top 30 winners were awarded various sums, a certificate, a fish painting and an ice fishing rod.

"I like this sport because it is cool and entertaining," said Li Ke, a 28-year-old angling enthusiast from eastern Beijing's Tongzhou district, who has attended many fishing contests, including sea fishing, in the past decade and won various prizes. Last year, he was ranked ninth in the Fangshan fishing contest in Beijing.

Gao Zeng, is an angler from Tianjin. He drove for two hours to reach the contest site. "I came for the fishing, while my wife and child have gone skiing at Shijinglong skiing resort not far away from here." Gao has taking part in three fishing contests in recent years.

Yanqing has been encouraging enthusiasm for ice and snow sports including skiing, skating and ice fishing after becoming one of the venues for the 2022 Winter Olympics. Ice fishing has become more and more popular and the local sports bureau and associations has been organizing various ice fishing competitions for anglers of all skill levels.