Bashan Cattle

Bashan Cattle

　　The producing areas of Bashan Cattle span a vast region at the junction of southern Shaanxi, western Sichuan, and northwestern Hubei, geographically located within the Daba Mountain Range. By type, the stout-type Bashan Cattle are distributed in Zhushan, Zhuxi, and Fangxian in Hubei, and Pingli and Xunyang in Shaanxi; the sturdy-type are found in Xixiang, Zhenba, Yangxian, Chenggu, Nanzheng, and Ziyang in Shaanxi; the delicate-type are distributed in Xuanhan, Daxian, Kaijiang, Wanyuan, Chengkou, and Pingchang counties and cities in Sichuan.

　　[Formation History]

　　Primarily produced in the Daba Mountain area at the junction of Sichuan, Hubei, and Shaanxi. Those from Xuanhan and Daxian in Sichuan were once called Xuanhan Cattle; those from Zhushan, Zhuxi, and Fangxian in the Yunyang region of Hubei were formerly known as Miaoya Cattle, later officially named Yunba Cattle at the provincial and prefectural levels; those from Xixiang, Zhenba, Pingli, Xunyang Chiya, and Shangluo regions in Shaanxi were once called Xizhen Cattle, Pingli Cattle, Chiya Cattle, and Lingnan Cattle, but were later uniformly named Qinba Cattle by the provincial authorities. In May 1982, after on-site investigations by the editorial team of the *Chinese Cattle Breed Records* along with leaders and technical personnel from relevant prefectures and counties in the three provinces, it was unanimously agreed that the ecological conditions, origins of the cattle, and their characteristics in these areas were similar, and that the local breeds should be classified as the same breed, subsequently unified and officially named Bashan Cattle.

　　Pottery cattle unearthed from the producing area during the Song Dynasty (960–1279 AD), depicted with a stout and solid build, high shoulder humps, and well-developed muscles, bear a resemblance to modern Bashan Cattle. This indicates that the local breeding of yellow cattle has a long history, and that the Bashan Cattle had already taken shape by the Song Dynasty.

　　Draft cattle have historically served as the primary working animals for transportation and plowing in the producing areas, as well as a source of meat. Since ancient times, draft cattle have been traded as commodities to increase income or to exchange for desired draft cattle. Each county in the producing area has long-established cattle markets where traders often travel hundreds of miles and gather in the hundreds. The influence of cattle breeds has spurred cattle farmers to raise larger and sturdier cattle.

　　The producing area lies at the junction of three provinces and has historically suffered from wars and famines. During disasters, large numbers of migrants moved into the region, bringing their draft cattle with them. Due to migrants coming from various places, the origins of the cattle also differed. After settling in the area, through long-term acclimatization, intermingling with local herds, exchanges of breeding stock, varying degrees of selection and management practices by local people, as well as certain differences in ecological conditions, the Bashan Cattle developed into different types. The stout-type features a robust body, relatively full muscles, and a larger size; the sturdy-type has strong bones, a compact structure, relatively full muscles, dense fur, and thinner skin; the delicate-type is characterized by thin skin and fine hair, visibly prominent ear and neck blood vessels, visible milk veins, a smaller body size, and an overall delicate, compact, and well-proportioned build.

　　The people in the producing areas have always placed great importance on the selection of draft cattle and have accumulated rich experience. When selecting breeding cattle, they look for traits such as red coat with black hooves, “one high” (high shoulder hump), “two large” (undefined here but presumably large body parts), “three wide” (wide head, chest, and rump), “four narrow” (tight hoof spacing), “five thick” (thick neck and limbs), and “six shiny” (bright eyes and hooves). Enthusiastic cattle breeders often go to great lengths, leading estrus cows over ten li to select and mate with superior bulls.