Tengzhou Green Mountain Goat

Tengzhou Green Mountain Goat

　　Tengzhou Green Mountain Goat is a specialty of Tengzhou City, Zaozhuang, Shandong Province. The Tengzhou Green Mountain Goat is of superior quality, ranking among the best in China whether for export or domestic sales. At one time, it enjoyed high international acclaim.

　　The Tengzhou Green Mountain Goat is hailed as China’s “historic famous goat.” According to the "Foreign Trade Annals of Teng County": “By 1932, the number of goat-raising households in Teng County had reached 24,200, with a free-range goat population of 130,000 and nearly a thousand larger herds. Over 40,000 live whole goats were exported annually to cities such as Jinan and Tianjin.” The sheepskin and wool produced in Teng County were also nationally renowned. As early as the Ming Dynasty, there are records of sheepskin and wool exports. The "Teng County Annals" state: “In 1585, 60 sheepskins were requisitioned for official use, and 50 were sold locally.” Local officials presented the fine sheepskin, a local specialty, as tribute to the imperial court. The "Teng County Local Chronicles" record: “In the 33rd year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty, people from Jining purchased sheepskin to make fur-lined coats.” After 1911, specialized fur and leather businesses emerged in Teng County, such as “Fulai Foreign Firm” and “Chenghe Tongxing,” which dealt in sheepskin. The Teng County mountain goat hides are premium raw materials for making high-end leather, used not only for various types of leather shoes, garments, and gloves but also for aviation and industrial applications such as oil-filtering leather, and velvet leather for wiping precision instruments and optical glass lenses. By 1978, the county had purchased and exported 301,800 mountain goat hides, ranking first in sheepskin procurement volume among all county-level regions in China, making it one of the key production areas for mountain goat hides in Shandong Province. Tengzhou goat lamb skin, known as “Huazi Skin,” is a unique type of fur in China, featuring a natural bluish hue from the intermingling of black and white hair. Its main export markets include the UK, France, West Germany, Japan, and the Netherlands. Wool is another major export product. Tengzhou wool fibers are fine, uniform, soft, strong, and elastic, making them an important raw material for the textile industry. In mountainous towns along the Xue River, such as Xuezhuang, Guanqiao, and Chaihedian, goat down comes in three colors—white, purple, and bluish—and its fibers are twice as fine as those of 60-count fine wool, making it ideal for spinning “cashmere.” The goat down produced in the eastern mountainous region of Teng County is internationally referred to as the “fiber pearl,” though its annual yield is very limited.

　　In addition to high-quality sheepskin, wool, and down exports, a large quantity of sheep small intestines is also a significant export product of Tengzhou. The thin membrane of the Green Mountain Goat’s small intestine is primarily used to produce sausages and cured meats—premium foods mainly used for long-distance travel and military rations. Due to the strength of the goat intestine, much of the outer intestinal casing is exported for use as surgical sutures. The export of Teng County goat casings has become one of China’s traditional export commodities. As early as before 1938, people were purchasing goat small intestines in areas like Xuezhuang and Xinji, processing them into semi-finished products for sale to foreign firms in Tianjin. In 1954, sausage casing shops such as “Yujì” and “Chéngjì” appeared in Tengzhou. Later, the Teng County Native Products Company established a casing processing workshop, and by 1975, the county was exporting over 30,000 goat casings annually. The Tengzhou Green Mountain Goat once enjoyed high international acclaim. Thanks to the high water quality of water systems such as the Xue River and Jing River, the goats raised here are highly valuable in every part, spurring rapid development in the goat-raising industry. In the two decades following the founding of the People’s Republic of China, goat farming became a primary source of income for farmers in the mountainous areas. The government placed great emphasis on developing this industry, carrying out multiple breed improvements. By 1965, the county’s goat population had reached 305,000. Currently, Tengzhou farmers remain highly motivated to raise goats, which continue to be an important source of economic development for rural communities, having even reached an all-time high.

　　However, due to historical reasons, Tengzhou’s goat farming industry has also faced setbacks. During the Cultural Revolution, goat tails were once labeled as “capitalist tails” and were ordered to be removed. Farmers were not allowed to raise goats, and the export of sheepskin, wool, and casings was restricted. A popular rhyme among locals at the time went: “Goat raisers no longer chant the goat-raising scripture, dropping their whips to take up struggle, smashing soup pots and collapsing business, incantations fail to save the scorched earth.” By 1972, goat farming hit its lowest point, with the county’s goat population reduced to just a few tens of thousands—more than halved compared to 1965. Goat soup businesses also suffered greatly, with almost no individuals daring to run mutton soup shops in urban or rural areas. In March 1973, then Vice Premier [Name] visited Tengzhou. After inspecting the area, he found that the serious decline in Tengzhou’s goat farming industry was affecting the export of goat hides, wool, and casings. Upon returning to the State Council, he immediately convened a meeting and promptly approved the report titled “On Developing Goat Production” submitted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Ministry of Foreign Trade, and the Ministry of Commerce. He stated: “Goat production is a very important endeavor. Restricting goat raising makes the public dissatisfied. Only those who do not understand the people’s feelings would fail to recognize this, and they should be advised to correct their views.” The county party committee and revolutionary committee swiftly implemented his directive, vigorously developing the goat farming industry and improving goat quality. From then on, the enthusiasm of commune members across the county for raising goats rapidly increased. By the end of 1977, the county’s goat population had recovered to 196,300. In October 1978, Teng County was designated as one of the national goat base counties during the National Animal Husbandry Work Conference. After the reform and opening-up, with the implementation of the household responsibility system, Green Mountain Goat farming achieved rapid development. By 1982, the city’s goat population had reached 349,800, and individual-run mutton soup restaurants flourished once again. Thanks to the superior quality of the Tengzhou Green Mountain Goat, whether for export or domestic sales, it consistently ranks among the best in China. The development of Tengzhou mutton soup depends on the growth of the Tengzhou Green Mountain Goat farming industry; the status of Tengzhou mutton soup is also determined by the status of Tengzhou’s “historic famous goat.”