Longtan Mountain Deer Farm

Longtan Mountain Deer Farm

Located at the southern foot of Longtan Mountain and the eastern bank of the Songhua River, nine kilometers from the city center, the farm enjoys a picturesque setting surrounded by mountains and water. The Longtan Mountain Deer Farm is a comprehensive state-owned enterprise integrating deer farming, trade, and tourism. Covering an area of 380 hectares, the farm boasts a prime location and convenient transportation, and has been designated as one of the national scenic routes by the China National Tourism Administration. The Longtan Mountain Deer Farm is the oldest farm in China for raising captive sika deer and the largest of its kind in the Jilin region. It maintains a deer population of over 1,000, producing approximately 750 kilograms of deer antler annually. The farm’s Ginseng and Deer Antler Service Department primarily sells products under the “Longtan Mountain” brand, including ginseng and deer antler series, two-pronged and three-pronged sika deer antlers, severed antlers, deer antler slices in various specifications, antler powder, deer heart, ordinary red ginseng, various types of ginseng slices, frog oil, and Changbai Mountain longevity grass. The product range also includes lingzhi-based tonic wines and cosmetics featuring ginseng and deer antler ingredients. These products are well known for being “renowned, high-quality, innovative, unique, pure, and affordable.”

The farm’s “Three Treasures Garden” offers visitors a highly attractive display of the “Northeast Three Treasures,” where you can see the leaves, stems, flowers, and fruits of ginseng, as well as rare animals such as trained deer, minks, sables, blue foxes, raccoon dogs, and pheasants.

Established in 1949, the Longtan Mountain Deer Farm is the oldest in China for raising captive sika deer and the largest of its kind in the Jilin region. The farm maintains a deer population of…

Longtan Mountain Deer Farm

…over 1,000. It produces approximately 750 kilograms of deer antler annually. Situated at the foot of Longtan Mountain, which boasts lush pastures and vast grazing land, visitors to the farm are greeted by the delightful sound of deer calls, evoking the poetic line from the Book of Songs: “The deer cry, ‘Ee-oo, ee-oo,’ nibbling the wild pear.”

Deer were originally wild animals living deep in the mountains. For people, especially urban dwellers, seeing them was—and still is—rare. As early as the Qing Dynasty, a worship hall was built at Little White Mountain in Jilin. To honor the ancestors of the Manchu people, local authorities established deer enclosures at the foot of Little White Mountain, making the “White Mountain Deer Park” a scenic attraction in Jilin and giving locals the opportunity to observe sika deer.

The Longtan Mountain Deer Farm primarily raises sika deer and red deer, and also operates a processing facility for the “Northeast Three Treasures.” It produces the “Longtan Mountain” brand of ginseng and deer antler products, including two-pronged and three-pronged sika deer antlers, severed antlers, deer antler slices in various specifications, antler powder, deer heart, ordinary red ginseng, various types of ginseng slices, frog oil, and Changbai Mountain longevity grass. To meet the demands of Jilin City’s tourism industry, the farm also raises a small number of sables and cultivates a limited amount of ginseng. In 1998, the Longtan Mountain Deer Farm was recognized by China’s National Tourism Administration as a “national tourist route destination.” Since then, it has become a renowned showcase and window for the “Northeast Three Treasures” in Jilin.

Due to frequent visits, the deer at Longtan Mountain Deer Farm have grown accustomed to human presence. They accept food offered by visitors, allow people to gently touch their soft fur, and sometimes even show affection, becoming friendly with people and posing for photos.

Historical records indicate that wild ginseng first originated during the Tang Dynasty and was abundantly produced in the Taihang Mountains of Shanxi Province. By the Ming Dynasty, ginseng in the Taihang Mountains suddenly disappeared, only to mysteriously reappear in the mountains of Northeast China. The reason remains unknown. However, the Book of Han states: “When the Yao Guan star scatters, it becomes ginseng; if Yao Guang is not bright, ginseng does not grow.” The Cihai (Sea of Words) encyclopedia describes Yao Guang as the seventh star of the Big Dipper. This suggests a mystical connection between ginseng and celestial bodies. Locals say that in areas where ginseng grows, surrounding plants seem to lean away, as if yielding to imperial presence—perhaps an exaggeration, but a charming one.