Locals and tourists thronged to the action and excitement filled the air as the 7th South China Sea (Maoming Bohe Port) Fishing Festival kicked off on Aug 16 in Maoming.

A spirited dance takes place at the opening ceremony. [Photo/WeChat account: maofabu]

A ban on fishing in the South China Sea, an important measure for the conservation of fish stocks, ran from May 1 to Aug 15 this year.

The ongoing Maoming festival features an exciting lineup of activities,  including singing, dancing and local intangible cultural heritage programs, combining the local fishing culture, customs and tourism, as well as praying for a year of good weather and rich hauls of fish.

Sea snails are brought into Bohe Port. [Photo/WeChat account: maofabu]

Bohe Port in Maoming is a starting port of the Maritime Silk Road in Guangdong province. It's also renowned as the "ancient port with a thousand-year history along the Maritime Silk Road."

The number of fishing boats, the gross power of fishing boats and the annual production at Bohe Port consistently rank first among all the fishing ports in Guangdong. Bohe Port is rich in lobsters, prawns, crabs, eels, sea cucumbers, shrimps, groupers, golden pomfrets and other varieties.

In addition, the annual number of fishing boats passing through the port reached 19,800, offloading 200,000 metric tons of fish, ranking it first in Guangdong.