1,000 fishing boats, 500 seafood dishes

Fishing boats sail from Shipu port to the East China Sea at the end of three-a-half-month fishing ban.[Photo by Yang Zhonghua/China Daily]

Port of Shipu has 600-year tradition of harvesting East China Sea.

For locals in Xiangshan, it was a big day worthy of celebration and thousands of people gathered at the port to see the fishing boats leave. In the evening, the county held a large meal for local residents and tourists to enjoy the first catch of the new fishing season.

Since 1998, the county has held fishery festivals every year in mid-September to celebrate the end of the fishing moratorium during which fish and crabs in the East China Sea grow into big and delicious seafood for which the area is famous.

In Xiangshan, fish dishes feature prominently for every family. Seafood is cooked in a traditional manner - steaming for fish and boiling for shellfish.

Li Weishan, chairman of Xiangshan Fishery Culture Association, said the most significant feature of Xiangshan seafood dishes is retaining the original flavor as much as possible.

"The best taste of food is its original taste. As the seafood in Xiangshan is fresh, it is better to present it in original ways," he said.

Li said that every morning and evening, people gather at the port to wait for the returning fishing boats.

"Some fish on restaurant tables are just out of the sea," he said.