Real-life "fish leaping over the dragon gate" staged at a scenic area: exact location and fish species revealed
I believe everyone is familiar with the story of “the fish leaping over the dragon gate.” Although it is a fable, a real-life version of the fish leaping over the dragon gate was recently staged at a scenic area! So where exactly is it? And what kind of fish is leaping over the dragon gate? Follow the editor below to find out!
1. A real-life fish leaping over the dragon gate is staged at a scenic area! Where exactly is it?
It really happens in the Liping Scenic Area in Hanzhong, Shaanxi, except that the protagonist is a different kind of fish——the slender mandarin fish (taimen). At the Jianxia scenic spot in Liping, small fish a finger long vigorously swing their tails and swim upstream from the pool below a small waterfall, trying to cross the waterfall to reach the upper reaches; that drive is truly captivating. It is reported that every year between July and August is the breeding season for the taimen, and during this period the taimen migrate in schools to spawn, creating a spectacular and unique phenomenon of fish leaping over the dragon gate. For a time, it attracted a large wave of photography enthusiasts to come and check in and take photos.
2. What kind of fish is leaping over the dragon gate at the scenic area?
1. Introduction
The fish leaping over the dragon gate at the Liping Scenic Area in Hanzhong, Shaanxi, is the taimen (Brachymystax lenok). The taimen is a fish of the order Salmoniformes, family Salmonidae, genus Brachymystax, commonly known as mountain taimen and river taimen (Northeast China), lüyu, lühua fish, golden board fish, flower fish (Shaanxi), plum blossom fish (Gansu), and small red fish (Xinjiang), among which the Chinese name Qinling taimen is relatively more scientific.
2. Protection level
In China there is only 1 genus and 1 species of taimen, and it is a precious landlocked cold-water fish. To protect this rare species, China's wild animal protection law has listed it as a national second-class key protected aquatic wild animal. In the Heilongjiang River basin it is an important economic fish, with delicious meat and high fat content; it generally weighs 1kg, and the largest individual can reach 8kg.
3. Economic value
The taimen is a precious fish of the Changbai Mountain area and has important academic research value in ichthyology and zoogeography. Taimen has delicious meat and relatively high fat content, with high nutritional value, and its roe is also quite precious. The taimen is tolerant of low temperatures and grows fast, making it a preferred project for cold-water aquaculture in the Changbai Mountain area.
Appendix: Introduction to Liping Scenic Area
Shaanxi Liping Scenic Area is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction. It is located within Yuanba Town, Nanzheng County, in the hinterland of the Daba Mountains at the border of Sichuan and Shaanxi, and is a national-level scenic area. Liping Scenic Area is 65 km from downtown Hanzhong, 300 km from Xi'an, 400 km from Chengdu, and 60 km from the Hanzhong West Station of the Xi-Han Expressway.
Shaanxi Liping Scenic Area is located within Yuanba Town, Nanzheng County, in the hinterland of the Daba Mountains at the border of Sichuan and Shaanxi, and is a national-level scenic area. Liping Scenic Area has an altitude of 1000-3000 m and a park area of 9403 hectares.
Although the fish leaping over the dragon gate is only a fable, the story behind the fable is indeed very positive, so we should also learn from the spirit of the carp in the fable and the taimen in this article, bravely charging forward, breaking through shackles, and realizing our own dreams.