The villagers have also developed a custom to build a tomb and organize funerals for those carps that die. At the funeral, a master of ceremonies will deliver a carp eulogy to pay respect to the deceased carp.

In 2008, the carp tomb, carp funeral and carp eulogy in Puyuan village were recognized by the Guinness World Records as "three uniques in the world" and the stream won the title of "the oldest carp stream in the world".

The carp funeral ceremony. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Zheng Xiaolu, an 86-year-old master of carp funeral ceremony, has been doing the work for more than 40 years. "The custom of the carp funeral ceremony is of great significance. We treat carp as our relatives and we treat them equally. After the carp die, we hold a ceremony as a blessing to them," Zheng said.

Tourism activities in Puyuan village attract tourists. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Zhouning county has recently built facilities at scenic spots, improved the water system of the carp stream, and thoroughly investigated and revitalized Puyuan village's traditional assets.

More than 600,000 tourists visited the picturesque area in 2021, a rise of 114 percent year-on-year, bringing in a total of 300 million yuan ($44.73 million) for the tourism industry.