Crab fever is gripping Yangcheng Lake this week after the 20th Crab Culture and Tourism Festival got underway on Sept 27.

The lake near Suzhou in Jiangsu province is famous all over China for the hairy crabs that live in its waters, and the two-month festival is timed to coincide with "hairy crab season", the time each year when the crustaceans are at their most tasty.

The 2016 Yangcheng Lake Crab Culture and Tourism Festival opened on Sept 27. [Photo from WeChat account ksntv0512]

Yangcheng Lake's efforts to trade on its famous crabs were rewarded during the opening ceremony of this year's festival, where Bacheng town, Yangcheng Lake was awarded the title "China Well-known Trademark" by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, and Yangcheng Lake Xiefangyuan was named a "National Featured Commercial Street" by the China Commercial Walking Street Committee.

This year the festival will also boast an added attraction, the 80-hectare Yinghuayijing Romantic Flower Park, which opened on the same day and is bedecked with a sea of colorful flowers from Dubai, Provence and Hokkaido. A special flower show based around the theme "beautiful chrysanthemum and delicious crab" will be waiting for visitors from September to November.

The festival will also feature a variety of events, including folk music concerts, camping festivals, photo exhibitions and traditional Kunqu Opera performances.

The 2016 Yangcheng Lake Crab Culture and Tourism Festival opened on Sept 27. [Photo from WeChat account ksntv0512]