Wuqiangxi Fish

Wuqiangxi Fish

Wuqiangxi Fish is a protected geographical indication product.

　　Wuqiangxi Fish gets its name from the scenic and picturesque Wuqiangxi Reservoir area where it is raised. This region boasts high forest coverage, excellent water quality, great depth, and vast waters. The “Wuqiangxi Fish” produced here features delicious, tender meat that is highly nutritious, rich in essential amino acids and trace elements needed by the human body—especially higher levels of selenium, zinc, and other trace elements compared to fish from other regions, meeting the standards of “selenium-rich” food products, which makes it very popular among consumers.

　　“The meandering Yuan River, the emerald-green mountains; the tranquil riverbanks, the gently swaying fishing boats.” The beautiful Wuqiangxi, depicted by literary master Shen Congwen, is located in the northeastern part of Yuanling County, Hunan Province. It serves as the northern gateway to both Huaihua City and Yuanling County. The plump and flavorful Wuqiangxi Fish comes from this very place.

　　Yuanling has a long history of fish farming. According to the "Yuanling County Animal Husbandry and Aquatic Chronicles," rice field fish farming began as early as before the Three Kingdoms period. Local mountain dwellers have long had the habit of hatching fish eggs from rivers and raising them in rice fields and ponds. The Ming Dynasty text "Records of the South" also noted that “the waterways between Chen and Chang teem with aquatic life.” The 1765 (Qianlong 30th year) "Chenzhou Prefecture Annals" stated: “The land of Jiangnan is vast, where people may practice slash-and-burn or wet-rice cultivation; the locals mainly live on fish and rice, relying on fishing, hunting, and mountain foraging.” It is evident that thanks to these pristine waters, the ancestors of Yuanling led a self-sufficient life of fishing and farming. Legend has it that when Emperor Taizong of Tang sent an imperial envoy to patrol the south, he passed through Mayifu and, upon seeing the shimmering lake and verdant mountains, docked his boat to rest. To entertain the visiting official, the locals prepared several small dishes using fish from Wuqiangxi. Unexpectedly, the envoy, who was used to rich and heavy foods, couldn’t stop praising the small fish from Wuqiangxi, and the name “Wuqiangxi Fish” quickly spread far and wide.

　　Wuqiangxi Fish

　　 The designated production area of Wuqiangxi Fish covers the watersheds of the Yuan River and You River within the current administrative region of Yuanling County, Hunan Province, between 28°04′48″N to 29°02′26″N latitude and 110°05′31″E to 110°06′27″E longitude, encompassing a water area of 310,000 mu. This includes the towns and townships of Wuqiangxi, Chenjiatan, Xiaojiqiao, Qinglang, Beirong, Shenxikou, Yuanling, Taichang, Panggu, Eryou, and Mingxikou.

　　 “Yuanling County People’s Government Request for Delineation of the Geographical Indication Protection Area of Wuqiangxi Fish,” Yuan Zheng [2013] No. 134

　　 Yuanling County Agricultural Technical Specification: DB431222/T001-2013 “Ecological Fishery Technical Specifications for Wuqiangxi Fish”