Deer Antler from Taihu Mountain

Deer Antler from Taihu Mountain

　　It is divided into sika deer antler and red deer antler. Sika deer antler, also known as yellow-haired antler or flower antler, usually has one to two branches; red deer antler, also called green-haired antler, is thicker and has more branches. Deer antler is a precious traditional Chinese medicinal material, with a sweet, salty, and warm nature, and is non-toxic. Its main nutritional components include deer antler essence, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, as well as organic substances such as the ovarian hormone "estrone." It functions to invigorate primordial yang, nourish qi and blood, enrich essence, and strengthen bones and muscles. The product originates from the Taihu Mountain Deer Farm. Other deer-related products include deer antler blood wine, deer placenta paste, and deer horn capsule, which are exported to Southeast Asia and various parts of China, with an annual output value exceeding 1 million yuan.

　　Taihu Mountain, located south of Hanshan County, was once home to wild deer. The "Hanshan County Annals" record Dai Zhong’s Ming Dynasty-era "Record of Taihu Mountain," which states: “Herds of deer suddenly arrived, numbering up to several hundred, unafraid of people, approaching with their antlers ready.” Stretching for dozens of miles, Taihu Mountain features gurgling springs and dense forests, making it suitable for deer habitation. Therefore, Hanshan established the Taihu Mountain Deer Farm in 1973, initially importing 89 sika deer and red deer from the northeast. Over the decades, through careful domestication, the farm has grown rapidly, now housing over 2,000 deer, with more than 300 fawns born annually, making it the largest artificial deer farm in East China.

　　Deer Antler from Taihu Mountain is divided into sika deer antler and red deer antler. Sika deer antler, also known as yellow-haired antler or flower antler, usually has one to two branches; red deer antler, also called green-haired antler, is thicker and has more branches. Deer antler is a precious traditional Chinese medicinal material, with a sweet, salty, and warm nature, and is non-toxic. Its main nutritional components include deer antler essence, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, as well as organic substances such as the ovarian hormone "estrone." It functions to invigorate primordial yang, nourish qi and blood, enrich essence, and strengthen bones and muscles.

　　Deer generally mate in September and October, giving birth the following August and September. Male deer grow antlers each spring and summer; two-pronged antlers are harvested after 45 days of growth, and three-pronged antlers after around 60 days. Fresh antlers go through three processes—boiling, drying, and airing—repeatedly, taking about 15 days to become finished deer antler products. The deer antler produced at the Taihu Mountain Deer Farm in Hanshan is exported by the National Medicinal Materials Company, with sales reaching Japan, the United States, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia.