Two farmers harvest crayfish at Si Ji You Xia crayfish breeding farm in Qianjiang, Central China's Hubei Province on December 26, 2025. Photo: Ai Shuai

Editor's Note:

This year marks the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30). A new year begins with new resolve and new momentum. The call to "fight for our dreams and our happiness, and turn our great vision into beautiful realities" continues to inspire actions across China.

In the column "New Year on the Frontlines," reporters from the People's Daily traveled to the grassroots to witness the vitality of a vast nation, see its mountains and rivers in motion and its fields in abundance, and listen to the stories of people finding fulfillment in both life and work.

Through these stories, the column seeks to present a vivid portrait of Chinese modernization. 

On the eve of the Spring Festival, Ecological Crayfish City in Qianjiang, Central China's Hubei Province, is buzzing with activity.

"Dish is served!" Following a waiter's call, pots of braised crayfish and garlic crayfish were brought to the tables. "These are all made with fresh crayfish. Crayfish are now available all year round in Qianjiang!" the waiter said proudly.

Previously, crayfish went into hibernation after September, leaving local restaurants generally quiet and only able to offer frozen crayfish. But now, consumers can enjoy fresh, live crayfish even in winter.

A little after 5 am, while it was still dark, Luo Chuandai, a major crayfish farmer in Bao'an village, Qianjiang, led his workers to the breeding farm. Dressed in plastic suits and wearing headlamps, they rowed small boats into the pond to start lifting a crayfish net cage. The net cage was submerged in the water, with one end tied up to a bamboo pole driven into the pond.

Standing in the water, workers slowly pulled it up, shook it vigorously over a plastic boat, and the lively crayfish fell out of the net cage. They collected the net cages one by one along the bamboo poles. By around 7 am, as dawn breaks, the crayfish were transported ashore. The 20 mu (1.33 hectares) of pond yielded more than 100 jin (50 kilograms) of crayfish.

A farmer holds a basket of crayfish in Qianjiang, Central China's Hubei Province on December 26, 2025. Photo: Ai Shuai

Li Mingbo, deputy director of the Hubei Crayfish Industry Technology Research Institute in Qianjiang, picked up several crayfish: "They're really big and plump. Lao Luo, your winter crayfish farming skills are getting better and better!" Luo Chuandai nodded with a smile and said: "Thanks to your technical guidance! In the past, workers had nothing to do for half a year, with no income. Winter and early spring crayfish now account for 70 percent of our annual income. The price of winter crayfish is twice that of summer crayfish, and crayfish as big as this can sell for at least 80 yuan per jin."

In the pond contracted by Luo Chuandai, a long fence net divides it into two rectangular sections, one large and one small. Pointing to the narrow strip of water near the shore, Li Mingbo said, "This is the crayfish juvenile breeding area. By planting aquatic plants and adjusting water quality, we've created a special environment to promote winter spawning and growth instead of hibernation. At the right time, we release the crayfish juveniles into the adjacent larger pond, allowing harvesting and restocking to take place simultaneously."

Qianjiang is one of China's leading crayfish-producing regions, and crayfish farming is a pillar industry that boosts local incomes. Although winter crayfish farming is more technically demanding, its returns are higher compared to summer farming. Through technology promotion, more and more farmers in Qianjiang are trying winter crayfish farming.

In 2025, Qianjiang established 120 demonstration sites for rice field winter crayfish farming models, covering an area of 5,000 mu. According to statistics from the China Crayfish Trading Center in Qianjiang, over 3,300 tons were sold during last year's Spring Festival holiday. With breakthroughs in farming technology, sales volume during this year's Spring Festival holiday is expected to increase by 10 percent compared with last year.

Qianjiang crayfish are served as part of the New Year's reunion dinner for couriers and food delivery riders at a canteen in Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei Province on February 3. Photo: Zhang Pan