松原市

Why this place

Songyuan is on the Songhua River where the Jilin oilfield produces, and it borders the Horqin grassland. Its lake — Chagan Lake — is one of the largest freshwater lakes in China and famous for its winter fishing festival, when nets are hauled up through the ice.

What to see

• Chagan Lake — the winter ice-fishing festival in late December is a major event
• The Horqin grassland edge and Mongolian villages in the west of the prefecture
• The Songhua River wetlands, with large numbers of waterbirds

What to eat

• Chagan Lake fish — stewed in a big pot, the winter specialty
• Mongolian mutton in the western counties

Best time

December–January for the ice fishing; July–September for the grassland and birds