Four-Gilled Fish in Meiyu River, Duipo

Four-Gilled Fish in Meiyu River, Duipo

　　The Four-Gilled Fish in Meiyu River, Duipo is a specialty of Duipo Town, Qixingguan District, Bijie City, Guizhou Province. The Four-Gilled Fish gets its name from having two real gills and two false ones. It is fragrant, delicious, rich yet not greasy, and is believed to nourish internal organs, strengthen tendons and bones, regulate the stomach and intestines, benefit the liver and kidneys, treat water retention, calm the fetus and invigorate the middle energizer, and is generally pleasant to eat in moderation.

　　The Meiyu River originates in Fan’ni Village within Duipo Town. Flowing eastward for over 60 li, it disappears into a karst cave beneath the Longdong Natural Bridge in Yanzikou Town. This 60-li stretch of river is called the Meiyu River. The Four-Gilled Fish, named for its two real and two false gills, not only looks different from ordinary fish but also has a very unique taste—fragrant, delicious, rich yet not greasy—and is believed to nourish internal organs, strengthen tendons and bones, regulate the stomach and intestines, benefit the liver and kidneys, treat water retention, calm the fetus and invigorate the middle energizer, and is generally pleasant to eat in moderation. Due to these remarkable qualities, news of the fish spread rapidly by word of mouth until it reached the imperial palace. The emperor then ordered that the fish be tributed to the court. At that time, transportation relied entirely on human labor and horseback, and the long, arduous journey across mountains and rivers made it impossible for the fish to survive outside the waters of this river—they would die within hours. The fish that arrived at the palace were either dried up or rotten, and because the emperor could not enjoy fresh Four-Gilled Fish, he ordered the execution of those responsible for the tribute and the laborers. Countless lives were lost as a result. Later, when the old emperor passed away and a new one ascended the throne, in order to stabilize the nation and appease the people, an edict was issued to exempt the tribute of Four-Gilled Fish. As a result, the fish also came to be known as “Exempt Fish,” and the river became known as Exempt Fish River. It wasn’t until a family surnamed Zhang from Mianyang, Hubei, settled in Zhangjiazhai by the banks of Exempt Fish River that, in memory of their hometown, they changed the character “免” (exempt) to “沔” (Mian), and thus the river came to be called Meiyu River.