Cao Cao led his army to attack the Eastern Wu and advanced straight to the waters of Red Cliffs. Zhou Yu, the commander-in-chief of the Wu forces, decided to launch a fire attack against Cao Cao’s navy, taking advantage of their unfamiliarity with naval warfare and Cao Cao’s overconfidence and underestimation of the enemy, despite being heavily outnumbered. Zhou Yu ordered Huang Gai to lead a fleet of fire ships loaded with flammable materials, disguised as grain transports and all flying green dragon pennants. Pretending to surrender, they headed toward Cao Cao’s naval camp...
According to *Erya*, wild ducks are called "fu" and domesticated ducks are called "wu." China is the first country in the world to have domesticated wild ducks. Through long-term artificial domestication, wild ducks evolved into poultry with short necks, small wings, inability to fly, egg-laying capabilities but no brooding instincts,...
The Jianghan Chicken is an excellent breed developed over three hundred years in Hanchuan. This chicken is small and compact, with a moderately sized head, mostly single comb, well-developed and bright red comb tips, short toes, long body, well-developed hindquarters, lively temperament, tolerance to coarse feed, strong foraging ability, stable heredity, and high egg production. Scientific measurements show that the "Jianghan…
The black-bone chicken, also known as the silkie chicken, silky fowl, or bamboo chicken, is historically referred to as the Taihe chicken (Wushan chicken) because it originates from the Wushan area of Taihe County in Jiangxi Province. The black-bone chicken features ten distinctive traits: a silk-like comb, silky head feathers, greenish ears, facial whiskers, silky plumage, feathered feet, five toes, black skin, black meat, and black bones—hence it is called the "ten-perfect"…
The lotus seeds from Diaocha Lake in Hanchuan, Xiaogan, Hubei Province, are a specialty of Hanchuan. They are mainly produced around Diaocha Lake in Hanchuan City. These lotus seeds are plump, tender, and rich in nutrients, with a delicate fragrance and delicious taste. They offer health benefits such as nourishing the kidneys, benefiting the heart, and consolidating essence, making them both edible and medicinal. The lotus seed hearts can also clear heat from the heart, nourish yin, and relieve irritability. Diao Lian lotus seeds...
Hanchuan Heyue is a distinctive traditional food from Hanchuan with a history of over 600 years. According to the illustrations in Volume 12 of the Qing Dynasty’s *Hanchuan County Annals*, white cakes (i.e., Hanchuan Heyue) are soft, sweet, and fragrant. Legend has it that the magistrate of Hanchuan prepared these treats using the finest ingredients, along with dried tangerine peel and preserved fruits, crafting them meticulously as an offering to the imperial court. …
Hanchuan Maokou Sesame Oil Factory is a specialized manufacturer of sesame oil. The traditional process of making sesame oil involves roasting the sesame seeds, grinding them finely with a stone mill, soaking them in water, and then skimming the oil off the surface with a ladle. This factory has broken through the traditional production process and made bold innovations. After screening, roasting, and softening the sesame seeds, they are fed into a Model 95 oil press,…
The uniquely flavored and exquisitely made "Pan Tongchun" Douban Sauce is a famous local specialty of Makou Town, Hanchuan City. It originated in the early years of the Republic of China and has become a renowned traditional condiment both within and beyond the province. The sauce-making tradition of Makou boasts a history of a thousand years. Legend has it that in the late Qing Dynasty, a man from Shanghai named Pan Tongchun came to Makou...
The water-milled glutinous rice flour produced by Xinyan Food Factory in Hanchuan City enjoys a high reputation both within and outside the province. It won the Bronze Award at China's First Food Expo in 1988, was honored as a "Contract-Abiding and Credit-Valuing Enterprise" in Hubei Province in 1990, and received the Provincial Quality Product Award in 1993. The water-milled glutinous rice flour produced by this factory uses high-quality glutinous rice from the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River as raw material...
"Imperial Roast Chicken" was once a dish served in the imperial palace. According to historians from the Palace Museum, during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, the emperor sought nourishing, longevity-promoting foods that were both healthful and not bitter. The Imperial Grand Tutor searched for many years and learned that roast chicken from the Jiangnan region perfectly suited the imperial taste, so he reported it to the emperor as a potential dish...
Carrots are a commonly grown vegetable in our province, but the Chrysanthemum Heart Carrots produced in Liuge Town, Hanchuan City, have a long history and unique characteristics, renowned far and wide since ancient times.
Daylilies were historically known as Xuancao, also called deer onion, forget-worry flower, male-favor flower, and golden needle flower. They are highly nutritious, with 14.1 grams of protein, 11 milligrams of various vitamins, 0.5 grams of fat, and 6.7 grams of crude fiber per 100 grams. They also contain essential nutrients such as sugars, riboflavin, carotene, sulfurous acid, iron, and phosphorus. When used in cooking, they are flavorful...
Quail meat is delicious and nutritious, and quail preserved eggs are a great choice for eating or as gifts. The quail farming industry is a pillar of the economy in Dingji (now part of Makou Town), Hanchuan City. This industry began here in 1989 and has since developed a number of large-scale farms and specialized villages. Currently, the annual quail population raised here is...
The White Hundred-Egg Goose gets its name from its ability to lay around a hundred eggs per year. The main production areas are concentrated in Mahé, Nanhe, Liuge, and Xinyan, and the breed is distributed throughout the entire city. The primary production zone lies to the north of the Jianghan area, centered around Mahé, where lakes such as Dieca Lake, Bao Lake, Dongxica Lake, and Laoguan Lake are found. To the south of the Han River, the production zone is centered around Nanhe, featuring lakes such as Baishi Lake, Jiugang...
Yan Tonggen’s Golden Steel Feet: Yan Tonggen, a native of Chengguan North Street, once set up a barrel stove where the current brewery stands on North Street. He specialized in baking Golden Steel Feet, while also making fried dough twists and pig ears. Yan Tonggen’s Golden Steel Feet may look tough, but they are actually fluffy inside—fragrant and crispy, and very popular among teenagers. The fried dough twists and pig ears he made were all well-shaped, becoming one of the favorite local snacks for children in Hanchuan...
Monk Yan’s Roast Pig Head: Monk Yan, a native of West Chengguan Street, once ran a night market eatery near what is now Hongqi Mall. His roast pig head was the most famous. The slices of pig head meat he cut were as thin as paper yet not greasy, with a delicious flavor, making it a unique delicacy among Hanchuan snacks. His braised rabbit, vegetarian ham (bean stick), and fresh bean shreds were also very popular with customers. His noodles were freshly made...
Jiang Haiba’s Scallion-Filled Fried Pastries: Jiang Haiba, a native of West Street in Chengguan, once set up a stall near the former Supply and Marketing Building on present-day West Street. The scallion-filled fried pastries he made were both crispy and deliciously flaky. It is said that his dough preparation method was unique—he used boiling water to mix the dough, incorporating five-spice powder, star anise, scallions, and finely salted seasonings blended with oil, then sprinkled the mixture with black and white sesame seeds. When baking the pastries in the oven, he paid close attention to the heat. …
Mandarin Fish Spitting Pearls. A live mandarin fish weighing about one jin (approximately 500g) and around 100g of fresh lotus seeds from the current year are deep-fried separately. The fish is placed at the bottom to resemble a flowing boat, then frosted lotus seeds are spread over it, encircling the fish like a string of lively, rolling pearls. …
Three Lions Rolling an Embroidered Ball. Lotus root shreds, shredded pork, and shredded fish are tied together and deep-fried into hollow ball shapes, with a carved dragon placed on the plate as if a group of pearls are playing with the dragon.…
Stir-fried Colorful Shredded Meat. Shred beef, pork, garlic, carrots, and green peppers in proportions of 50%, 20%, 10%, 10%, and 10% respectively. Add them to the wok in five separate batches in order, season with five-spice mix, and stir-fry until dry and loose, forming a puff of colorful flower-like shreds. Garnish with a few red lotus seeds before serving to enhance the dish’s visual appeal and flavor...