Qingyuan Chicken

With a breeding history of over a thousand years, Qingyuan Chicken is a valuable local agricultural breed resource in Qingyuan. Owing to its geographical origin and farming methods, the chicken is tender and fine-textured, and has been famous since ancient times. It is especially prized for its golden skin, tender and smooth meat, crisp skin, soft bones, bright red and delicious flesh, and distinctive flavor.

　　The Qingyuan Partridge Chicken, commonly known as Qingyuan Chicken, is listed as one of the 27 premium breeds in China's Poultry Breed Records. It earned its name from the countless sesame-like speckles on the back feathers of the hens. Due to its geographical origin and unique free-range farming method (the chickens are raised entirely in bamboo forests, drinking dew and eating insects), the meat is tender and fine-textured, and has long been famous. It is widely acclaimed in the markets of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau for its golden skin, tender and smooth meat, crisp skin, soft bones, bright red and flavorful flesh, and unique taste. It is deeply loved by food enthusiasts.

　　In 1972, when U.S. President Richard Nixon visited China, Premier Zhou Enlai personally selected top-quality domestic chickens to serve him, and ultimately chose Qingyuan Chicken. Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka, an envoy of Sino-Japanese diplomatic relations, also specifically requested to try Qingyuan Chicken during his visit to China. In June 2004, Hong Kong’s then-Chief Executive Donald Tsang said after tasting Qingyuan Partridge Chicken: “Qingyuan Chicken is a great brand in Hong Kong, with an extraordinary flavor.” The Qingping Chicken, one of Guangzhou’s famous dishes established in 1964 and known as the “No. 1 Chicken in Guangzhou,” uses Qingyuan Chicken as its main ingredient.

　　Qingyuan Partridge Chicken has a long history of breeding. As early as the third year of the Jianyan era in the Song Dynasty, the 14th volume (Industry section) of the Qingyuan County Annals compiled during the Ming Dynasty recorded it simply as “chicken.” In recent times, with improved transportation, local vendors have collected chickens from various rural areas and sold them to the provincial capital, generating annual sales of tens of thousands of yuan. The chickens from Qingyuan were considered superior in the provincial capital, with prices about 10% higher than elsewhere. Long before liberation, they were already being exported to Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau. In 1957, the National Poultry Work Conference was held in Qingyuan, and the former Qingyuan County was honored as the “Home of the Three Birds” (referring to chicken, duck, and goose). Since the 1970s, Qingyuan Chicken has seen further development, growing in popularity and sales, consistently ranking as the most expensive live chicken. It has been beloved by food lovers. Former U.S. President Nixon and former Japanese Prime Minister Tanaka both specifically requested to try Qingyuan Chicken during their visits to China. In June 2010, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China issued a notice announcing the approval of geographical indication product protection for Qingyuan Chicken. This brought the total number of geographical indication products protected in Qingyuan City to 12. According to the announcement, the protected production area for Qingyuan Chicken includes the administrative regions of Qingcheng District, Qingxin County, Fogang County, and Yingde City—four counties and cities under Qingyuan’s jurisdiction. In 2006, Qingyuan Partridge Chicken was included in the National Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources Protection Catalog by the Ministry of Agriculture. To develop the Qingyuan Chicken farming industry, the Qingyuan Municipal Government incorporated Qingyuan Chicken as part of the agricultural industry structure adjustment into the city’s “Tenth Five-Year Plan” outline. Statistics show that in 2009, the number of Qingyuan Chickens slaughtered reached 18.998 million, accounting for 39.2% of the city’s total poultry slaughter—but still far from meeting market demand. The successful application for geographical indication product protection for Qingyuan Chicken will play a positive role in maintaining and improving the breed quality, combating counterfeit products in the market, and protecting and enhancing the Qingyuan Chicken brand.

　　The protected production area for Qingyuan Chicken geographical indication products covers the administrative regions of Qingcheng District, Qingxin County, Fogang County, and Yingde City in Qingyuan City, Guangdong Province.