Fishermen gather small sea creatures as the tides ebb in Ninghai Bay in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province on April 29. [Photo/Ningbo Daily]

There are nearly 1,000 people foraging for wild seafood in Ninghai Bay every day, including not only locals but also tourists from nearby cities such as Shanghai, said Chai Xuesong, head of the cultural station in Qiangjiao town. 

Small clams, snails and oysters are the most fertile from April to May in the region.

The tradition of foraging coastal waters has a history of about 1,000 years in Ninghai Bay in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province.

Every year, fishermen gather small sea creatures around the 18th day of the third lunar month when the tide is lowest, exposing several kilometers of tidal flats, according to Lin Bifeng, a local fisherman.                                    

Fishermen gather small sea creatures as the tides ebb in Ninghai Bay in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province on April 29. [Photo/Ningbo Daily]

An aerial view of fishermen gathering small sea creatures as the tides ebb in Ninghai Bay in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province, on April 29. [Photo/Ningbo Daily]