Deep in the mountains of Chongqing, a seemingly ordinary excavation unexpectedly uncovered a natural fish spring that had been hidden for countless years. On a spring morning 16 years ago, Uncle Li was guided by a white-bearded old man in a dream and decided to find the key to solve the dilemma under his dilapidated home.
After several days of hard work, it seemed that all efforts were about to be wasted when the shovel hit a hard object in the 16-metre-deep ground.
However, just as everyone was about to give up, the cold spring water suddenly gushed out, and schools of fish jumped happily in the spring, these are the rare Yunnan perch fish. Today, 16 years later, with the development of society and changes in the environment, is this once prosperous fish spring still active?
1. A mysterious dream revelation
On a spring morning in 2007, the morning fog in the mountain city of Chongqing had not completely dissipated, and Uncle Li woke up from a deep dream. In the dream, an old man with a white beard dressed in ancient costume told him that there was a secret to solving his long-standing dilemma beneath his home.
When the dream gradually dissipated, what remained in Uncle Li's heart was the sense of reality that could not be escaped. He got up and went into his yard, his eyes on the land he had cultivated day after day.
Soon after, Uncle Li told his neighbors and friends about the dream. Although the people in the village are skeptical of this statement, they are more likely to use it as an after-dinner conversation.
However, for Uncle Li, this dream is extremely important, and he feels that this is a God-given opportunity, and perhaps it is the key to changing his fate.
Uncle Li decided to dig underground to see if the instructions in the dream really harbored secrets. But to achieve this, he needs money to buy tools and hire workers. After much thought, he decided to turn to his daughter for help, hoping to borrow start-up capital from her.
2. Support and hesitation of the family
On that spring breeze afternoon, Uncle Li came to his daughter's house with deep excitement. With an irrepressible excitement on his face, he eagerly told his daughter and son-in-law about his unusual dreams and decisions as soon as he entered the door.
He described in detail the white-bearded old man in his dream and the mysterious instructions, and his voice was full of unwavering trust in this "heavenly opportunity".
The daughter and son-in-law listened to Uncle Li's description and exchanged a complicated look with each other. The hesitation in the daughter's heart is obvious, she knows that her father has always lived a difficult life, and he has been in poverty all the year round, and every penny is not easy to come by. Uncle Li looked at his daughter hopefully, waiting for her response.
The daughter did initially express doubts about her father's bizarre idea, after all, digging into the family's underground in search of treasure sounded more like an old legend.
She whispered to her father that it was all a futile adventure that might even make the family's already strained finances worse.
However, in the face of his daughter's doubts, Uncle Li was not discouraged, he repeatedly emphasized his beliefs, firmly believing that this was an opportunity to change his fate.
He explained his plans to his daughter and son-in-law, including hiring workers, buying the necessary tools, and the expected timeline for excavation. His tone was firm, and every word revealed his unquestionable determination.
In the end, the daughter's original intention was to support her father, although she still had a lot of anxiety in her heart. She knew her father's hard work and expectations over the years, and she couldn't bear to shatter his hopes.
After some inner struggle, she agreed to lend 50,000 yuan. This amount of money is indeed not small for her and her son-in-law, they also have their own burdens and plans, but in this family, support and mutual help always come first.
3. The process of excavation and surprise discoveries
After receiving the support of his daughter, Uncle Li immediately took action. He contacted several village workers who, while curious about the excavation work, were also infected by Uncle Li's determination and agreed to join the unusual expedition.
In preparation, they went to the town's tool shop to buy shovels, pickaxes, and necessary safety equipment such as ropes and headlamps to ensure that the excavation work went smoothly.
On the morning of the start of the excavation, Uncle Li and the workers came to the designated place early in the morning. They divided the excavation site into several areas and systematically began work.
The first few days were very difficult, and the excavation was frustrating with ordinary dirt and rocks. Despite the hard work of the workers and the silent removal of a large amount of earth and rocks every day, little was found.
This monotonous and tedious work continued for several days, and the onlookers gradually lost interest, and the voices of ridicule and suspicion began to increase.
However, on the fifth day of work, when the excavation depth reached 16 meters, the atmosphere in the excavation team suddenly changed. An excavator's iron pickaxe slammed into an unusually hard rock formation with a crisp sound.
Uncle Li and the workers hurriedly gathered and carefully cleaned the surrounding soil with shovels, hoping to see what was hindering their progress.
As more dirt was cleared, a cool stream of water suddenly gushed out of the rock formation, accompanied by a school of small fish. The fish swim lively, seemingly completely undisturbed by the outside world.
Workers watched in amazement and hurriedly used buckets and other containers to collect the fish that had suddenly appeared. The entire excavation site suddenly became lively, and Uncle Li excitedly observed this group of accidentally discovered fish.
After initial identification, the fish were identified as the rare Yunnan pan bass, an extremely rare species in the local market. Yunnan pan bass is known for its delicious meat quality and high nutritional value, and the price in the market is very considerable. The discovery immediately aroused great interest among the people of the village, and some even began to ask if they could buy these fresh fish.
Subsequently, Uncle Li contacted local fishery experts and market managers to come to the excavation site, and they expressed great interest in the discovery and provided further identification and market guidance.
The experts confirmed that these perch fish have high economic value and suggested that Uncle Li consider establishing a small-scale fish farm and using this natural fish spring for artificial farming, and develop related businesses on this basis.
4. Opportunities brought by Fish Spring
After discovering the Yunnan pan bass, Uncle Li took swift action to turn this unexpected fish spring into an economic resource. First of all, at the suggestion of local fishery experts, he dedicated a part of the area of the fish spring to the cultivation of pan bass, while maintaining the natural ecology of the fish spring to ensure the quality and growing conditions of the fish.
Uncle Li invested in the equipment needed for fish farming, including water quality testing equipment, fish nets and feeding ponds, as well as improved feed to ensure the healthy growth of fish.
He also employs several local fishermen as part-time staff members to take care of the day-to-day management of the fish and the care of the fish.
In order to maximize the economic value of Fish Spring, Uncle Li decided to sell these high-value fish to local restaurants and markets. Due to the scarcity of Yunnan pan bass in the market, these fish quickly became a sought-after item in high-end restaurants.
Uncle Li regularly organizes fish fishing activities and then delivers fresh fish directly to major restaurants and fish markets to ensure the freshness of the fish, which has gradually built his reputation in the local business.
In addition to selling fish, Uncle Li also realized that the fish spring itself has a high tourism value as a natural landscape. He began to renovate the surrounding environment and set up a simple visitor reception center, including a fish viewing platform and rest area.
He also set up signs around the fish spring to introduce the characteristics and rarity of Yunnan perch fish, and increase the educational experience of tourists.
As the popularity of the fish spring gradually increased, Uncle Li began to charge a symbolic entrance fee to cover the cost of maintaining the fish spring and its surroundings.
Visitors can purchase tickets to visit the fish springs, see the active Yunnan pan bass with their own eyes, and even participate in fishing activities at specific times. This interactive experience makes this place not only attractive to locals, but also to out-of-town tourists and food lovers.
In order to enhance the visitor experience, Uncle Li has also partnered with local tourism companies to develop a series of tour packages, including fish spring sightseeing, local food tasting, and interactive fishing experiences.
The launch of these activities has also benefited the small traders and catering industry around Yuquan, and gradually formed a small-scale tourism economic circle centered on Yuquan.
This series of changes not only brought a stable and considerable annual income of 300,000 yuan to Uncle Li's family, but more importantly, it changed the lives of him and his family.
5. Future business opportunities
By 2014, Uncle Li felt the business opportunities through the initial success brought by Fish Spring, but also realized the risks and limitations that Fish Spring may face if it relies solely on nature.
After detailed research and many consultations with experts, he decided to contract a fish pond located outside the village and began experimenting with the artificial breeding of Yunnan perch.
In order to effectively breed Yunnan perch, Uncle Li has invested in advanced fish farming equipment, including automatic feeders, water quality monitoring systems, and efficient filtration equipment to ensure the best condition of the fish pond environment.
He has also hired several experienced aquaculture technicians to supervise the growth and reproduction process of the fish, ensuring reproduction efficiency and fish quality.
In the construction and management of fish ponds, Uncle Li insists on using environmentally friendly methods and reducing the use of chemical additives to keep the water naturally clean and provide a healthier environment for fish to grow.
Through artificial breeding, he was able to control not only the supply of fish, but also the size and quality of the fish to a certain extent to better meet the market demand.
At the same time, Uncle Li did not ignore the tourism potential of Fish Spring. He gradually transformed the original fish spring area into a tourist attraction with farmhouse characteristics.
Next to the fish spring, he built several chalets for tourists to stay, with a simple and natural décor that blends completely into the surrounding countryside. In addition, a barbecue area, picnic area, and fish viewing platform have been added to the Fish Springs area, where visitors can enjoy hands-on fishing and live cooking while enjoying the natural beauty.
In order to better promote this emerging tourist spot, Uncle Li used the power of the Internet to establish an official website and register information on major tourism platforms. With the popularization of the Internet, more and more tourists have learned the story of "Magical Fish Spring" through the Internet.
They were captivated by this unique natural phenomenon and the inspirational stories behind it.
On the Internet, many travel bloggers and food bloggers have also started to pay attention to this attraction, sharing their visits through blogs, microblogs and videos, further raising the awareness of the fish spring and fish pond.
Some bloggers even live-streamed the process of fishing and tasting Yunnan pan bass, which attracted a lot of attention and discussion from fans.
As more and more people express their interest in Uncle Li's fish spring through online platforms, his phone rings almost every day, and there is an endless stream of tourists booking visits and experiences.
- Cai Ruiyu, Zhao Jianrong, Huang Jing, Wang Zhijian, Su Shengqi.Preliminary observation on the development of juvenile fish in Yunnan Panyu[J].Southern Fisheries Science,2018,14(3):120-125