When you travel to study in China, the city of Kunming in Yunnan province is a place you can go and have a look at. There is also a famous kind of fish widely favored in the Dian Chi Lake of Kunming.
Being famous among those who came to study Chinese in Kunming since the old days, Golden Thread Fish originates in Dian Chi Lake. Xu Xiake, a well-known traveler in ancient China, said in his Travel Notes that “Golden Thread Fish is no longer than four inches with fresh and delicate meat. There is a line starting from its head to its tail. It is wonderfully delicious.” Since he called it delicious, he probably had tasted it.
More information about Golden Thread Fish should be given in your Chinese school where you learn Mandarin in Yunnan province. The size of Golden Thread Fish is quite small, with semitransparent body. Since its scales and tiny and its fair meat, it tastes very good. It was once among the articles of tribute for ancient Chinese Emperors.
Some students from summer program in China will ask where they can find Golden Thread Fish. Golden Thread Fish is only found in two places of the Dian Chi Lake: Golden Thread Spring of Xi Mountain’s Longmen Village and the Southwest Lake of Niulian Village in Jingning County. However, due to overfishing and the pollution of the Dian Chi Lake, now Golden Thread Fish has quietly disappeared in Dian Chi Lake. We can only recall its delicacy from the description of some articles.
It is said in volunteer program in China that this kind of fish was very rare in ancient times and no ordinary people could have the opportunity to taste it. It could only be caught in autumn—it was very fat in autumn and could not stand the heat, then it would come out from the crack of rocks to enjoy the cooling. Thus, people had the chance to see it and catch it. Because of its tastefulness and its rareness, it was very costly at that time.
There are some famous dishes of Golden Thread Fish we would like to introduce to those who learn Chinese in China, such as Golden Thread in sweet and sour sauce, pepper and fennel flavored Golden Thread, Golden Thread Fish with fermented soya beans, steamed Golden Thread and so on.
There is also a legend of Golden Thread Fish that has often been talked about when you study Mandarin Chinese in Yunnan province. The most amazing feature of Golden Thread Fish is the fact that there is a golden line on both sides of its body, transparent and shiny. This kind of fish is named after these two golden treads in its body.
Why there are golden threads in the body of fish is the question that every student from internship in Chinawill ask. According to the legends of Jingning County which is located on the southern bank of the Dian Chi Lake, the story goes like this: Once there was a fisherman who used spears to gig fish. One day he worked all day long but got nothing. Before he starved to death, a warm-hearted stranger gave his own rice porridge with green beans to the starving fisherman. Thus the fisherman survived.
Your HSK preparation program in China will show you that the kind stranger also told him that in the evening there would be a lot of fish appearing in the Chushui Cavity under the foot of a big rock. However, the stranger warned the fisherman that he should not kill the lead fish. Later that day, the fisherman came to the Chushui Cavity, and saw a large school of fish. At that moment, he was so happy that he totally forgot the words of the stranger.
Seeing the big fat leading fish, he poked it immediately. The leading fish died and from its stomach rice porridge with green bean came out. The fisherman suddenly understood and regret what he did. Since then, the poking wounds of the fish became two golden threads, and the leading big fish disappeared ever since. If you spend a Summer in China, you can come to Kunming. When you are in Kunming, the Golden Threat Fish is the kind of fish you should know.