Rongchang White Pig

Last updated 2026-11-14 — The Rongchang White Pig is a renowned livestock specialty of Rongchang, known for its “thin skin, tender meat, and high lean meat content.” As early as the 1950s, it was featured in the British publication *World Dictionary of Livestock Breeds and Famous Varieties*. During the Seventh Five-Year Plan period, the Ministry of Agriculture designated the Rongchang Pig, along with the Taihu Pig and the Northeast Min Pig, as one of the three nationally protected premium local breeds. At the first national academic symposium on the preservation and utilization of livestock genetic resources, experts called for the Rongchang Pig to be protected and promoted as a national treasure, just like the giant panda. In recent years, nearly 1.5 million Rongchang piglets have been exported annually to provinces, municipalities, autonomous regions across China, as well as to countries such as Japan and North Korea, making it the country’s largest export-oriented piglet production base. Rongchang pig bristles are also a long-renowned local specialty. They are known for being white, tough, thick-rooted, non-forked at the tips, highly elastic, heat-resistant, and shape-retaining, making them an important raw material for both industrial and household products. As early as the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, they were exported to international markets, with peak annual production and sales reaching 100,000 jin. (Rongchang)