Heishui Phoenix-Tail Chicken

Heishui Phoenix-Tail Chicken

Heishui Phoenix-Tail Chicken is a product certified with a geographical indication for agricultural products.

　　Heishui Phoenix-Tail Chicken is a specialty of Heishui County in Aba Prefecture, Sichuan Province.

　　Heishui County is a semi-agricultural and semi-pastoral area, situated in the high mountain and canyon zone of the western Sichuan plateau, in the central part of the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture. It is located in the middle section of the Minshan Mountain Range and is the source of the Heishui River and Ma’ergai River, two main tributaries of the upper Minjiang River. The landscape primarily features plateaus, high mountain canyons, and mid-mountain valleys, with elevations ranging from 1,790 to 5,286 meters. The area boasts famous attractions such as “Dagu Glacier,” “Kalonggou,” the 80-li Colorful Forest in 0 Gully, “San’ao Snow Mountains,” and “Yakexia National Forest Park,” as well as intangible cultural heritage such as “Kasidawen.” The county’s 58,000 rural residents are all Jiarong Tibetans. The unique human and geographical environment has helped preserve the traditional farming methods of the Heishui Phoenix-Tail Chicken.

　　It is reported that Heishui County has unique advantages for developing ecological agriculture and animal husbandry. In recent years, the county has focused on the development goals of “distinctive, ecological, and organic” farming, vigorously promoting valley-based economic development. Priority has been given to advancing six major industries: “ecological vegetables, Tibetan fragrant pigs, early-bearing walnuts, phoenix-tail chickens, authentic medicinal herbs, and Aba honey,” achieving remarkable results.

　　Currently, the Heishui Phoenix-Tibetan Chicken Breeding Base has completed renovation and expansion, raising over 3,000 breeding chickens. This year, Heishui County plans to develop 20 model households for breeding phoenix-tail Tibetan chickens, with each household raising more than 3,000 chickens, driving the breeding of 100,000 such chickens among all farming and herding households in the county, generating an output value exceeding 7.5 million yuan.

　　In 2014, “Heishui Phoenix-Tail Chicken,” applied for by the Livestock Workstation of the Heishui County Bureau of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, passed the review of the Agricultural Products Quality and Safety Center of the Ministry of Agriculture and expert evaluation, and was granted national geographical indication certification for agricultural products.

　　Location: Sichuan

　　Applicant: Livestock Workstation of the Heishui County Bureau of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine

　　Year of designation: 2014

　　Geographical Scope

　　The geographical indication protection area for Heishui Phoenix-Tail Chicken agricultural products includes 17 townships: Shashiduo Township, Hongyan Township, Luoduo Township, Wabo Township, Qinglang Township, Ciba Township, Kalong Town, Luhua Town, Shuangliusu Township, Musu Township, Longba Township, Shidiaolou Township, Sergu Township, Zhaowo Township, Zhimulin Township, Mawo Township, and Weigu Township. The geographical coordinates are between 102°35' and 103°30' east longitude, and 31°35' and 32°38' north latitude. The protected area spans 4,356 square kilometers, approximately 85 kilometers from east to west and 72.5 kilometers from north to south. The annual output of Heishui Phoenix-Tail Chicken is 100,000 birds (with meat production of about 125 tons).