Nalin Fish

Nalin Fish

Nalin Fish is a protected geographical indication product.

　　Nalin Fish refers to a type of locally farmed live grass carp that is raised in seven towns under the jurisdiction of Bobai County, Guangxi—Nalin Town, Jiangning Town, Dungu Town, Yong’an Town, Shuiming Town, Langping Town, and Shuangfeng Town—and meets specific quality standards, possessing unique qualities and named after the “Nalin” region.

　　Located in the Nalin Town area, deep in the foothills of the Liuwanshan Mountain Range, the mountaintops are often shrouded in thick fog, with crisscrossing rivers and streams. The area boasts an abundance of pollution-free mountain spring water that flows continuously, with fresh, unpolluted water and a mineralization level of less than 1 gram per liter. Taking advantage of the numerous mountain spring water sources, the year-round flowing water, and the naturally pristine, unpolluted, oxygen-rich conditions, locals have dug small fish ponds (or pools) by streams, in valleys, or on open village land, diverting the constant flow of mountain spring water to raise grass carp—a practice known as “raising big fish in small pools.” Growing year-round in mountain spring water and fed exclusively on grass, the Nalin Fish reaches over 4 kilograms after 3 to 4 years of farming, resulting in uniquely firm, tender, fragrant, and sweet meat with distinctive qualities.

　　A long-standing local saying in Bobai goes: “Bobai water spinach is fresh, but Nalin fish is simply divine!” Nalin Fish has a long history, with over 300 years of farming tradition, and has been cherished by literati and gourmets throughout the ages. It is no exaggeration to say that rare fish are produced in the wilds of Baise Prefecture. According to the *Taiping Huanyu Ji* (Comprehensive Gazetteer of the Taiping Era), during the Tang and Song dynasties, pools on Lühan Mountain and Dahuang Mountain in Bobai were home to “maidservant fish.” The *Biography of Green Pearl* by Song dynasty’s Le Shi states: “Within the prefecture, there is the Bobai River Panlong, and pools on Dongfang Mountain, Shuangjiao Mountain, and Dahuang Mountain, where maidservant fish dwell.” Green Pearl was born at the foot of Shuangjiao Mountain, renowned for her beauty. Legend has it that the peerless beauty Green Pearl was reincarnated from a seven-colored maidservant fish spirit. By the Qing dynasty, these precious fish no longer appeared in historical records, but the *Bobai County Annals* (reprinted in the 12th year of the Daoguang reign) from the Qing dynasty’s Daoguang era mention the sight of bodhisattva fish swimming peacefully in the pools of those same mountains. Local lore tells of the largest Nalin Fish ever—a grass carp king farmed during the Qing dynasty for 105 years, weighing 41 kilograms, and associated with the legend of “water-soaked wood.”

　　Legend has it that in ancient times, after the Weaving Maid of the Seven Fairies fell in love with the Cowherd and ran away with him, the remaining six fairies grew sorrowful and secretly descended to earth for leisure. Passing through Liutangjing in Nalin Town, they found the scenery beautiful, with six crystal-clear ponds, and each fairy played in one of the ponds. As there were no living creatures in the ponds, the scene felt too quiet, so one of the fairies fetched fish from heaven and placed them in the six ponds to bring them to life. One day, while the fairies were playing with the fish, a young cowherd passing by fainted from malnutrition and the scorching sun. Seeing this, one of the fairies helped him to a tree, took a fish from the pond, and made soup for him. After drinking the soup, the youth regained consciousness, feeling energized and savoring the unforgettable umami flavor. Moved by the cowherd’s poor and difficult life, the fairies gave him some of the fish to take home and breed.

　　The cowherd, having received the fish, went home and used Nalin’s natural ecological environment to dig pools beside streams to raise fish. Every day, he diligently cut grass and picked melon leaves in the mountains to feed the fish. The fish he carefully raised grew plump and strong. Due to drought and failed harvests, villagers were starving every day, so the cowherd caught fish, cooked them into soup, and distributed it to help everyone get through the hard times. The villagers all praised him, and word spread. From then on, every household in Nalin treasured and farmed these fish like precious treasures. As the fish multiplied and the reputation grew, Nalin became known as a land of fish and rice, and thus the Nalin Fish got its name.

　　The people of Bobai have long had the custom of using mountain spring water to farm fish. Nalin Fish mainly consists of grass carp, which benefits from the abundant and continuous flow of mountain spring water from the Liuwanshan Mountain Range, along with the naturally pristine, unpolluted, oxygen-rich water. People build small fish ponds of 10–100 square meters by streams and in valleys, utilizing the natural free-fall of the local spring water to create a recirculating aquaculture system, known as “raising big fish in small pools.” Nalin Fish grows year-round in mountain spring water, feeding on tender grass and vegetable leaves, and reaches over 6 kilograms after 3 to 4 years of farming, resulting in uniquely firm, tender, fragrant, and sweet meat. Over time, rich farming and management experience has been accumulated and passed down through generations.

　　In the long and rich cultural history of Bobai, Nalin Fish has become more than just a simple fish resource—it has evolved into a form of material culture, bearing profound cultural heritage, quietly flowing along with the mountain spring streams of the Liuwanshan Range, and leaving an indispensable mark in Bobai’s developmental history.

　　Nalin Fish lives in continuously flowing mountain spring water, where the abundant and unceasing supply is highly conducive to the high-quality, standardized farming of Nalin Fish. The Nalin Town area enjoys mild winters and cool summers, with winter water temperatures below 10°C and summer temperatures around 25°C, making the conditions suitable for Nalin Fish growth year-round. However, because they are fed only natural grass or crop stems and leaves, their growth is slow, with a long farming cycle—typically requiring over three years to reach over 4 kilograms, and over five years to reach 6 to 10 kilograms. In 1981, Xiao Feng, then Deputy Director of the National Fisheries Administration, personally visited Nalin in Bobai upon hearing about the farming of large grass carp in mountain hollows and advocated that mountain fish farming should learn from Nalin. Various media outlets, including China Central Television, *Guangxi Daily*, and *Yulin Daily*, have also extensively reported on Nalin Fish. In 2010, *The Bobai Grand View* published by Guangxi People’s Publishing House provided detailed records of Nalin Fish’s history, geographical location, farming methods, quality, and more.

　　Nowadays, Nalin Fish is already sold widely in cities such as Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Dongguan, Nanning, and Shanghai. Local villagers use oxygen-filled bags for long-distance transport, expanding sales further and further, earning nationwide acclaim.

　　The current administrative regions of Nalin Town, Jiangning Town, Dungu Town, Yong’an Town, Shuiming Town, Langping Town, and Shuangfeng Town in Bobai County, Yulin City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region

　　*Notice of the People’s Government of Bobai County on Determining the Protected Name and Scope of the Geographical Indication Product Nalin Fish* (Bo Zheng Fa [2016] No. 27)

　　Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Local Standard: *Geographical Indication Product Nalin Fish* (Draft)