<P> Henan is not the only place where this happens . Many other waterfalls in China also have the name Dragon Gate and much the same is said about them . Other famous Dragon Gates are on the Wei River where it passes through the Lung Sheu Mountains and at Tsin in Shanxi Province . The fish's jumping feature is set in such a proverbial idiom as "Liyu (Carp) jumps over the Dragon Gate (Chinese: 鯉 躍 龍門)," an idiom that conveys a vivid image symbolizing a sudden uplifting in one's social status, as when one ascends into the upper society or has found favor with the royal or a noble family, perhaps through marriage, but in particular through success in the imperial examination . It is therefore an idiom often used to encourage students or children to achieve success through hard work and perseverance . This symbolic image, as well as the image of carp itself, has been one of the most popular themes in Chinese paintings, especially those of popular styles . The fish is usually colored in gold or pink, shimmering with an unmistakably auspicious tone . Yuquan (玉泉 in Chinese), one of the well - known scenic spots in Hangzhou, has a large fish pond alive with hundreds of carp of various colors . A three - character inscription, Yu - Le - Guo (鱼 乐 国), meaning "fish's paradise", is set above one end of the pond in the calligraphy of a famous gentry - scholar of the late Ming Dynasty named Dong Qichang (Chinese: 董其昌). Many tourists feed the fish with bread crumbs . </P> <P> Among the various kinds of carp, the silver carp is least expensive in China . The grass carp is still a main delicacy in Hangzhou cuisine . Restaurants along the West Lake of the city keep the fish in cages submerged in the lake water right in front of the restaurant; on an order from a customer, they dash a live fish on the pavement to kill it before cooking . The fish is normally served with a vinegar - based sweet - and - sour sauce (Chinese: 西湖 醋 魚). </P> <P> Silver carp have become notorious for being easily frightened by boats and personal watercraft, which cause them to leap high into the air . The fish can jump up to 2.5--3.0 m (8--10 ft) into the air, and numerous boaters have been severely injured by collisions with the fish . According to the EPA, "reported injuries include cuts from fins, black eyes, broken bones, back injuries, and concussions .". Silver carp can grow to 45 kg (100 lb) in mass . This behavior has sometimes also been attributed to the very similar bighead carp, but this is uncommon . Bighead carp do not normally jump when frightened . Catching jumping carp in nets has become part of the Redneck Fishing Tournament, in Bath, Illinois . Other parties, such as the Peoria Carp Hunters, have taken advantage of the jumping ability as a mechanism of hunting the carp, in some cases to purge the invasive species . </P> <P> Asian carp have been a popular food fish in Asia for thousands of years . Some recipes are specifically for carp such as Tángcù Lǐyú (zh) (sweet - and - sour carp) and Koikoku (ja) (thick miso soup with carp). However, many people in North America associate Asian carp with common carp, a bottom - feeding, highly bony species which was introduced from Eurasia in the 1800s and is not widely regarded as food . </P>

What causes asian carp to jump out of the water