The taste of the lake

Once cooked on the bows of boats with little more than salt and flame, Baiyangdian's fish feast still carries the spirit of a life lived on the water, Deng Zhangyu reports in Xiong'an.

In the heart of Xiong'an New Area, Hebei province, lies a food tradition that defines the region: Baiyangdian Lake's fish feast. Here, where the sky meets the water and reeds line the shores, almost every family knows how to cook fish. Freshness is a way of life.

Tucked deep inside the lake, Juantou village is the place to taste this authentic flavor. Surrounded by water and endless reeds, generations of fishermen have lived off the lake, harvesting fish, shrimp and lotus roots to create a feast with a century-old tradition.