On October 14, in Yinchuan, the capital city of Ningxia, reporter Li Peishan witnessed the vibrant harvest season of koi fish, as the new industry flourishes in the Xingqing District. In a dazzling display of colors, koi fish of red, gold, black, and white swim energetically in the ponds, painting a picturesque scene of abundance.
Stepping into a fish farming company located in the village of Zhangzheng, Xingqing District, one is greeted by a spacious 6,000-square-meter facility. Sunlight streams through the glass, illuminating the ponds where schools of koi dart about, occasionally leaping out of the water, creating ripples. Nearly 5 million koi are currently “waiting for their new owners” in this vibrant setting.
“The fish you see here are our newly cultivated varieties, known for their graceful swimming tails and fins,” said Lu Wei, the company’s director. He, along with staff members, was broadcasting live on social media, showcasing their koi and creating a wave of online purchasing enthusiasm. Meanwhile, workers on the other side of the facility quickly prepared the sold koi for transportation—filling bags with water, adding oxygen, and packaging them for delivery.
According to Lu, the price of koi ranges from several hundred to several thousand yuan, with high-quality koi priced individually. Through a combination of online and offline sales, this year’s output value of koi has surpassed 5 million yuan.
Koi, a symbol of wealth and auspiciousness, have become a favorite among consumers, making them the “luxury fish” of the farm. However, cultivating top-quality koi with vibrant colors and sturdy bodies is no small feat.
“In 2020, we established our first koi pond in Yinchuan, but due to a lack of technical knowledge and experience, we ended up spending over a million yuan in ‘tuition fees,'” Lu admitted. After learning from these early mistakes, he traveled to other regions to study koi farming under the guidance of industry experts. “I studied everything about koi—growth habits, breeding techniques, and disease prevention. Now, we focus on standardized ecological aquaculture, developing an efficient business model that integrates breeding, farming, sales, educational outreach, and tourism.”
Lu’s commitment to quality and technical excellence has not only reaped rewards but also gained him a reputation as a leading figure in the koi farming community. “Ningxia’s koi farming has gained recognition, leading the West’s koi auction to be held in Yinchuan,” he shared.
It’s not just koi that are flourishing; recently, shrimp and crabs, including the popular South American white shrimp and Yellow River hairy crabs, have also hit the market. Benefiting from the irrigation of the Yellow River, Ningxia’s plains have long been known as “the southern land of the frontier.” In recent years, through soil improvement and scientific selection techniques, certain saline-alkaline lands in areas like Xingqing District and Helan County have been transformed into productive zones for rice, corn, mushrooms, and freshwater fish farming, boosting income for local farmers and agribusinesses. In Xingqing District alone, by the end of 2023, aquaculture areas had reached nearly 17,000 acres, with fishery output surpassing 6,400 tons and generating an output value of 105 million yuan.
