Jieshan Winter Snow Honey Peach is a specialty of Jieshan Town, Dongping County, Tai’an City, Shandong Province. The skin of the Jieshan Winter Snow Honey Peach is light green, with a rose-red tint on the sun-exposed side, vibrant and tender. The flesh is milky white, semi-freestone, fine-textured, soft and juicy, with a sweet and fragrant taste. Jieshan Town successfully introduced the Winter Snow Honey Peach from Qingzhou City. After careful cultivation, it has now entered...
【Zhifang Radish】 Produced in Sun Zhifang Village, Zhoucheng Town, Dongping County. Zhifang Radish features a bright red color, small and pointed tops, thin and short tails, large and round shapes, each weighing over a jin. Shaped like a lantern, it is also known as the “Red Lantern.” Due to its crisp texture and tendency to break upon hitting the ground, it is also called “Breaks-Upon-Falling.” When eaten raw, it is crisp and sweet; when cooked, it is delicious and refreshing. Sliced into thin strips and cooked, it remains firm and is highly favored by diners.
【Ding Huatang Chinese Cabbage】 Produced in Dingtang and Huatang Second Village of Dongping County, hence the name Ding Huatang Chinese Cabbage. Legend has it that when Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty was on his southern tour and passed through Dongping, he caught a slight cold, lost his appetite, and especially disliked greasy food. Upon hearing this, the local magistrate ordered the chef to prepare a “Jade Pearl Soup” using Ding Huatang Chinese Cabbage and shrimp, along with premium seasonings, which was then served to the emperor. Qian…
Fermented fish is a traditional and renowned delicacy of Dongping. Dating back to the Qing Dynasty, it was sold in major market towns across the region and hailed as a fine food. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, its reputation grew even stronger. Particularly in State City, the Nie and Xie families have passed down their skills through generations, earning long-standing fame for their craftsmanship. The fermented fish they produce features intact fish bodies with both flesh and bones edible, offering delicious taste and a fragrant yet non-greasy flavor, and is hailed as…
“Farewell My Concubine” is a premium delicacy newly created in Dongping County over the past 20 years. The main ingredients are soft-shelled turtle (commonly known as turtle or “wangba”) and chicken. After cooking, the turtle head and chicken head are placed together, hence the dish is named after the historical allusion using a homophonic pun. It is also referred to as “Prosperity of Dragon and Phoenix” or “Longevity of Turtle and Crane.” Turtles were historically not used in cooking...
Xianghu Dongping Porridge The Xianghu Dongping Porridge, produced by Dongping Porridge Factory, originated during the reign of Emperor Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty and has a history of over 300 years. It is thick as sauce yet drinks like water, smooth and white, fragrant, sweet, and delicious, with a unique porridge aroma. Due to its complex and meticulous production process, the finished product is difficult to store and transport, which prevented it from spreading beyond its hometown. Mr. Chen Guangyin...
Dongping Lake Waxy Ducks are a locally superior breed, named for their brownish feathers dotted with black speckles. These ducks are known for their strong adaptability and disease resistance, fast growth, high egg production, and tender meat. Dongping Lake Waxy Ducks are mainly found around Dongping Lake, Daotun Marsh, and along the Daqing River. The ducks feed mostly on fish, shrimp, and aquatic plants. The areas mentioned feature...
Silver carp, commonly known as "bai tiao" or simply "silver carp," belong to the genus Hemiculter in the subfamily Cultrinae of the family Cyprinidae, order Cypriniformes. They are a common fish species in Dongping Lake, most abundant before the 1970s, often forming large seasonal schools. According to fishermen from Laohu Village in Laohu Town, in October 1961, during overcast and rainy weather, large numbers of silver carp appeared across the lake. Two boats using a large seine net measuring 30 meters in length and 20 meters in width pulled it back and forth, catching over 5,000 kilograms of fish in a single day. Some boats even caught up to tens of thousands of kilograms, the majority of which were silver carp. After the 1980s, due to destructive illegal fishing practices such as blast fishing and electrofishing in the lake, the population of silver carp has significantly declined. Nowadays, the daily catch per boat rarely exceeds 5 kilograms. The total annual yield of the entire lake is about 200 tons.
The crabs from Dongping Lake, scientifically known as "Chinese Mitten Crab" and commonly referred to as "lake crab" or "hairy crab," are farmed in lakeside towns such as Shanglaozhuang, Yanshan, and Laohu Town. The total aquaculture water area exceeds 10,000 mu, including 5,000 mu of netted enclosures in the lake, 4,000 mu of ponds outside the lake, and 1,000 mu of rice paddies...
Dongping Lake is a natural breeding ground for Chinese Pond Snails, with an annual production of over 1,500 tons. The pond snail, belonging to the Gastropoda class and Viviparidae family, has a slightly conical shell that is either smooth or marked with vertical ridges. The Chinese Pond Snail is common and widely distributed, with a shell height of 6 cm, consisting of 6–7 whorls and deep sutures between them. Its oval-shaped aperture has a horny operculum. These snails thrive in lakes, ponds, paddy fields, and slow-moving streams. They are dioecious, ovoviviparous, and develop through internal fertilization. With their broad foot, they can crawl on aquatic plants or the lakebed, demonstrating strong adaptability to the environment. The Chinese Pond Snails in Dongping Lake originally came from Dao Tun Wa in our county. To develop this resource on a large scale, in 1974 the foreign trade department transplanted over 500 kilograms to the west of Buzi Village at Dongping Lake. Within two to three years, the population expanded to 20,000 mu (approximately 1,333 hectares), growing well and becoming one of the lake’s most economically valuable aquatic species. During the peak catching season in April and May, fishermen can harvest over 100 kilograms per boat per day.
The Folded Crown Pearl Mussel of Dongping Lake is a wild mussel species that grows in the lake. Commonly known as "Crested Mussel," "Lake Mussel," or "Flag Mussel," it is a benthic aquatic animal belonging to the genus Cristaria of the family Unionidae. It has a large shell with relatively thin shell material, slightly inflated valves, an anteriorly positioned beak, and an elongated oval shape. The frontal dorsal edge has an inconspicuous crest, while the posterior part is long and tall, with the rear dorsal...
The reeds in our county are mainly produced in the Rice Paddy Marsh, with a small amount also coming from Dongping Lake. Before 1990, the Rice Paddy Marsh had about 25,000 mu of reed fields, with an average yield of over 3,000 kilograms per mu, and the total annual reed production was around 100,000 tons, ranking among the top in the province. Reeds are perennial tall herbaceous plants of the Gramineae family with rhizomes...
Historically, Zhoucheng was surrounded by water on all sides. From the Old West Gate to the Small West Gate, west of Guijingzi at the South City Corner; both sides of the South Gate; the area around Daxue Street west of the Great East Gate (now Wenchang Village); and east of the North Gate as well as near the current mosque, the city was mostly encircled by ponds. These ponds were overgrown with reeds, covering a total area of more than 2,000 mu. Until the…
Zhoucheng is an ancient and renowned city. Established in the third year of the Xianping era of the Song Dynasty (1000 AD), it has a history of over a thousand years and once served as the administrative seat during the periods when Dongping was a prefecture or a circuit. Located by the Dongping Lake, the area features low-lying terrain surrounded by emerald waters, embodying the charm of a water town. The vast expanse of water provides ideal conditions for the growth and abundant harvest of Zhoucheng’s lotus roots. According to…
Spicy soup is one of the famous soup delicacies in our county. Historically, the spicy soup made by Peng Ke可选’s family in Pengji Town was the most renowned. The Peng family’s spicy soup features large, chewy gluten balls, sticky yet not greasy, with just the right balance of sour and spicy. There’s a local rhyme that goes: “Chewy and firm gluten balls, smooth and refreshing bean starch sheets, slippery and slender potato noodles,” which describes the Peng family’s spicy soup...
In Dongping County, there’s a local saying: “Eat the carp for the meat, but drink the soup of the turtle.” This means that while carp is valued for its flesh, the turtle (commonly called “wangba” or “turtle”) is best enjoyed for its broth. Because turtles are highly nutritious and most suitable for making soup, which enhances their tonic effects, they are typically prepared as soup. The usual way to eat turtle is in soup form...
Fish Mash Soup is a newly developed soup dish in Dongping County since the reform and opening-up period. It is made using small fish caught in rivers, lakes, and ditches, which are processed and cooked. The soup features a yellow broth with green herbs, an aromatic fragrance, a tangy and spicy taste, and a delicious flavor. The preparation method is as follows: 1. Take 250 grams of 3-centimeter-long small fish. Add 5 grams each of chopped scallions, ginger slices, and minced garlic…
Hou Family Roast Chicken is one of the famous dishes in Shahe Station Town. It was created by Hou Yian from Shabei Village, Shahe Station Town, during the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty, and has a history of over a hundred years. Its characteristics are: intact appearance, tender and falling-off-the-bone interior, rich and fragrant taste, well-balanced seasoning, and a long-lasting aftertaste. China has a long history of using chicken as food. As early as the Zhou Dynasty, chicken was already listed…
Yellow River carp is a wild and prized fish species that lives in the fertile waters of the Yellow River. Its most distinctive feature, setting it apart from other fish, is its red tail and golden scales. Historically, when Dongping Lake served as a natural flood storage area and was connected to the Yellow River, large numbers of Yellow River carp would enter the lake during flood seasons. The Yellow River carp has a slender body and swims with strong, agile movements...
Crucian carp in Dongping Lake, belonging to the order Cypriniformes, family Cyprinidae, and genus Carassius, are one of the main fish resources in Dongping Lake. According to elderly fishermen from Laohu Village (formerly Suiriverchuan Village), Laohu Town, in 1961, they could catch over 50 kilograms of crucian carp in a single haul, and a boat could catch up to a thousand kilograms in just one hour. Before 1966, the catch of crucian carp...