Qingliu Stream Fish

Qingliu Stream Fish

Qingliu Stream Fish is a geographically protected product.

　　Nestled in the mountainous northwest of Fujian, Qingliu County is renowned for its scenic beauty with lush mountains and tranquil waters. The region features an intricate network of streams that sparkle with crystal-clear waves. Within Qingliu County, there are six main streams: Longjin River, Songxi Stream, Changtan River, Luokou Stream, Luofeng Stream, and Wenchang Stream. Particularly after the completion of the Ansha and Songkou hydropower stations, the water levels of Longjin River and Jiulongtan became steady with slow-moving currents. The banks are richly vegetated, and the low-lying mountains along the river have formed numerous stream branches and reservoir bays—ideal environments for fish to escape mountain floods, seek shelter, forage, and spawn. Due to minimal industrial presence and pollution in the upper reaches and along the Longjin River, the aquatic resources are abundant, supporting a diverse range of fish and shrimp species. Both resident, semi-migratory, and stream-dwelling fish thrive here, collectively referred to as “Qingliu Stream Fish.” Over 60 species inhabit these waters, including grass carp, common carp, white knife fish, and catfish, with particularly abundant populations of prized species such as mandarin fish and river catfish.

　　　　Savoring the tender, flavorful, and fragrant “Qingliu Stream Fish” evokes thoughts of Zhang Ji (767–830), a renowned Yuefu poet of the Tang Dynasty, who passed the imperial examination in the Zhenyuan era and held positions such as Court Sacrificial Official, Vice Minister of Waterworks, and National University Supervisor—known to contemporaries as “Secretary Zhang” or “Waterworks Secretary Zhang.” During the Yuanhe era of Emperor Xianzong of Tang, Zhang Ji visited his friend Yuan Zixu, then Prefect of Tingzhou. Traveling from the north into Fujian, he reached Yanping, then journeyed upstream along the Shaxi and Yanjiang rivers, passing through Qingliu’s Jiulongtan (also called Jiulong Stream or Longjin River), and stayed overnight at Shawu Dongkou Village. Legend has it that when Yuan Zixu, then Prefect of Tingzhou (with Qingliu under Tingzhou jurisdiction at the time), learned that the great poet Zhang Ji was coming, he hurried to Jiulongtan on the Shaxi River to welcome him. Knowing Zhang Ji loved fish, Yuan brought along his chef, Chef Wu. The Jiulongtan streams were crisscrossed with crystal-clear, fish-rich waters, yielding plump, aromatic fish that could be steamed, boiled, pan-fried, or stir-fried—perfect for hosting guests. Chef Wu was tasked with preparing fish dishes in every conceivable way. Zhang Ji and Yuan Zixu spent days ashore, enjoying the scenery and losing themselves in the experience. With Qingliu’s breathtaking landscapes, fish darting through the streams, birds soaring through the forests, and blue skies dotted with white clouds painting a picturesque setting—whether in secluded forests or charming villages with small bridges over flowing water, the occasional sound of a shepherd’s flute drifting on the breeze added to the charm. A flock of egrets hovered over Jiulongtan, their graceful movements almost like fairies in flowing white garments dancing amidst the misty rain, leaving Zhang Ji entranced, as if half-drunk in a dreamlike state. Moved beyond words, he composed the poem “Farewell to Magistrate Yuan of Tingzhou”: “Once you planned your return north to the capital, you sought the noblest office at the royal gate. Temporarily leaving the twin-phoenix palace as a prefect, your whole family crossed the Jiulongtan. In mountain villages, only banana-tax households remain; in waterside towns, duck farms abound. In remote lands, few visitors come by—when the coral trees bloom, who will enjoy them with you?” Once, while steaming fish, Chef Wu mistakenly added rice wine instead of soy sauce to the clay pot, then quickly added a few slices of ginger. To his surprise, Zhang Ji found the flavor unique—aromatic, tangy, spicy, fresh, and tender—and was delighted. When he asked the name of the dish, Chef Wu, inspired on the spot, decided to call this rice-wine-steamed fish “Steamed Fish.” This offhand naming became a beloved household dish in Qingliu, passed down through generations and renowned far and wide.

　　　　Qingliu is a predominantly Hakka county, where reverence for fish is especially profound. During festivals, fish is an indispensable dish. When slaughtering a fish, its tail is cut off and affixed to the door, symbolizing “abundance every year” (a homophone for “fish”). On the annual Dragon Boat Festival, people gather by the river, spear fresh fish, set up iron pots, build bonfires, and cook the fish in river water while drinking rice wine to offer prayers for rain, wishing for favorable weather, bountiful harvests, and “abundance every year” (again, a homophone for “fish”). A legend tells of a time long ago when the Jade Emperor had a princess of extraordinary beauty, intelligence, and talent—his most cherished treasure. One day, the princess fell gravely ill, throwing the Jade Emperor into a panic. He dispatched heavenly soldiers to deliver celestial elixirs, gathered lingzhi mushrooms from Kunlun Mountain, unearthed ginseng from Changbai Mountain, and retrieved pearls from the ocean. Yet none cured her. As her condition worsened, the Jade Emperor grew desperate. Eventually, he heard that “the hundred fish of the mortal world’s rivers could cure all illnesses,” so he immediately sent heavenly deities to catch one hundred varieties of fish from rivers, lakes, and seas, which were boiled into a soup and fed to the princess. Within days, she recovered. To repay the fish for saving her life, the Jade Emperor decreed that all river, lake, and sea fish be protected from harm. He also ordered the Rain God to send all rains to the waters, withholding even a drop for humans. At the time, a great drought struck, causing great distress among Qingliu’s Hakka people. They slaughtered pigs and cattle to pray for rain, but the Jade Emperor still withheld water. With no animals left to offer, on the Dragon Boat Festival, the villagers caught carp, silver carp, salmon, crucian carp, and even salamanders from streams, rivers, lakes, and ponds to offer as substitutes. To their surprise, the Jade Emperor, seeing mortals kill his benevolent fish out of desperation, wept bitterly upon remembering how those fish had saved his daughter. His three-day-and-three-night weeping summoned dark clouds, fierce winds, lightning, and thunder. The tears of the Jade Emperor turned into torrential rains that poured for three days and nights, flooding fields, nourishing crops, and reviving vegetation. From then on, Qingliu’s landscape turned lush and green, the fertile land fragrant with abundance, and fish flourished.

　　　　To this day, on the Dragon Boat Festival, communities in Canglong (Songkou), Dongkou (Shawu), and Xianshui (Lijia) still go to the river to slaughter fish, praying for favorable weather, bountiful harvests, and “abundance every year” (homophone for “fish”). The fish cooked in river water are succulent and fragrant—today known as Lijia Xianshui Fish.

　　　　The vast seas allow fish to leap freely. Today, the farming of “Qingliu Stream Fish” has grown into a key agricultural industry in Qingliu County, adding a vibrant highlight to the construction of a new socialist countryside. To transform resource advantages into economic benefits, Qingliu County’s Party Committee and government place high priority on fisheries development, listing it as a key agricultural project. Led by the County Animal Husbandry, Veterinary, and Fisheries Bureau, while ensuring routine tasks like fisheries law enforcement, they adhere to the development strategy of “leveraging resources, driving projects, cultivating specialties, and strengthening the industry.” Efforts focus on stabilizing cold-water fish, open-water aquaculture, freshwater fish processing, and Min-Taiwan fisheries, gradually steering the county’s aquaculture toward scaled and industrialized growth—paving the way for farmers’ prosperity. In June 2007, Qingliu County established the Stream Fish Development Association and the Qingliu Stream Fish Distribution Center, implementing “four unifications”: a unified “Qingliu Stream Fish” brand, unified production standards for pollution-free, green, and organic products, unified distribution of seedlings, feed, and products, and unified information, technical guidance, and industry management. The government subsidized over 200,000 yuan to equip major fish farmers with more than ten Qingliu Stream Fish delivery vehicles. The association set up a mobile information intranet, registering all members’ phones in a database to promptly disseminate supply-demand information, key breeding techniques, and flood/drought forecasts. Today in Qingliu, across vast serene lakes and interconnected fish ponds, one can see “Qingliu Stream Fish” thriving—symbolizing the harvest and happiness of Qingliu’s people.

　　　　“Qingliu Stream Fish” branded products are sold in Sanming, Longyan, Xiamen, Fuzhou, and other regions, commanding higher prices than fish from other origins. Huang Huocheng, a wholesaler at the Sanming Aquatic Products Market, noted that although “Qingliu Stream Fish” costs a few extra cents per jin, its uniform size and superior quality make it highly popular with consumers, selling faster than fish from elsewhere. Qingliu County integrates fisheries with tourism, leisure, and gourmet dining, injecting new vitality into the sustainable growth of the industry. Statistics show that Qingliu currently has 115 restaurants specializing in processed stream fish, including seven officially designated “Qingliu Stream Fish Gourmet Restaurants” in the county, two in downtown Sanming, collectively consuming over 1,000 tons of fresh fish annually.

　　The geographical indication product protection area for Qingliu Stream Fish covers the entire administrative region of Qingliu County, Fujian Province.