Bacheng Crab Market: Crab Season

Suzhou | September 2025

At the end of September, I visited the bustling Bacheng Crab Market, likely the largest hub for Yangcheng Lake crabs. Yangcheng Lake, famed for producing the prized hairy crab, is celebrated across Jiangsu and throughout China for its rich, buttery flavor. The market thrived with vendors, eager buyers, and the unmistakable aroma of fresh crab, offering a glimpse into the culinary obsession that makes this seasonal delicacy one of China’s most sought-after foods.

Bacheng Crab Market with numbered stalls, vendors, and buckets of live crabs

Bacheng Crab Market with numbered stalls, vendors, and buckets of live crabs

Market worker standing, looking out over the lake waters

Market worker standing, looking out over the lake waters

Businesses farm crabs and serve them in market restaurants

Businesses farm crabs and serve them in market restaurants

Vendor sitting in her electric car at the market

Vendor sitting in her electric car at the market

Illustration of crabs painted on a restaurant window

Illustration of crabs painted on a restaurant window

Restaurants inside Bacheng Crab Market serving fresh seafood

Restaurants inside Bacheng Crab Market serving fresh seafood

Crabs in farm ponds ready for sale

Crabs in farm ponds ready for sale