On our tour, we visited an old shipyard, which produced wooden fishing boats using traditional Chinese construction techniques. Today, this small shipyard still produces small dragon boats, which are traditional wooden boats similar to canoes used for racing during certain Chinese holidays. We also visited an old ice house, which manufactured ice for fishermen to keep their catches fresh while out at sea. Although demand for ice is much lower now thanks to modern technology, the factory still operates and we got to go inside and explore the vault where they store ice.
After a lunch made with fresh local seafood, we were able to visit the fish markets in the nearby district of Xiangshan. Traditionally, the fish is caught in large nets and brought straight to the market. The nets are hung over a large circular table, which buyers gather around holding baskets and sticks. At exactly 2:00 pm every day, the net is cut open from the bottom and the fresh fish fall onto the table. From there, buyers scramble to grab the best fish and put them in their basket. At the market, you can also pay to have your fresh fish cut up and prepared for cooking.
Lastly, we visited a small local fish farm. This farm specializes in producing Taiwanese bottarga (烏魚子 wūyúzǐ), a local delicacy usually enjoyed around the Chinese New Year. This snack is produced from the egg sacs of Taiwanese mullet fish, which are farmed in ponds on the farm. The fish are collected and their egg sacs are harvested before being salted, pressed and sun dried. The final product is almost like a fish roe jerky, which is then grilled with liquor and a blow torch.
