Dongjiang Lake, a national 5A tourist area and ecotourism attraction, is located in Huangcao town of Zixing, Chenzhou, Hunan province. It covers an area of 160 square kilometers and stores 8.12 billion cubic meters of water. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Giving up fish farming and embracing tourism has created new ways of making a living for residents who live near Dongjiang Lake.

Located in Huangcao town of Zixing, Chenzhou, Hunan province, the lake covers an area of 160 square kilometers and can store 8.12 billion cubic meters of water.

Cage fishing was once the main source of income for nearby residents. But environmental problems, such as eutrophication — the rapid growth of aquatic plants and algae brought by agricultural runoff water — arose. In 2012, bans on large-scale livestock farming and mining began to be imposed. Cage fishing was also banned.

Dongjiang Lake, a national 5A tourist area and ecotourism attraction, is located in Huangcao town of Zixing, Chenzhou, Hunan province. It covers an area of 160 square kilometers and stores 8.12 billion cubic meters of water. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

"I used to have more than 1,000 square meters of cages for culturing fish in Dongjiang Lake, which provided me with an annual income of more than 500,000 yuan ($76,423)," said resident Zhu Gui.

As the area gradually pivoted to eco-friendly tourism, residents have benefited. The lake has become a national 5A tourist area and the national ecotourism attraction.

Dongjiang Lake, a national 5A tourist area and ecotourism attraction, is located in Huangcao town of Zixing, Chenzhou, Hunan province. It covers an area of 160 square kilometers and stores 8.12 billion cubic meters of water. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

"We built new houses for bed and breakfast tourism, which is more relaxing work but earns me more — about 700,000 yuan per year," Zhu said.

Although fishing is not allowed in the area anymore, festivals of local fish culture are held annually to attract tourists. Residents also engage themselves with e-commerce to promote local products.