Huzhou Taihu Goose

Huzhou Taihu Goose

The Huzhou Taihu Goose is a geographical indication agricultural product.

　　Huzhou, as one of the birthplaces of the fine local breed of Taihu Goose in China, has a long history of raising this bird. According to the "Huzhou Prefecture Chronicles" under the section on fowl, geese have been raised here since around 350 BC. The contemporary "Wukang Liu Annals" also mention Taihu Geese being used as nocturnal burglar deterrents. This shows that as early as 1,600 years ago, the Taihu Goose had already become integrated into the lives of the people of Huzhou. Over time, the Taihu Goose also became an indispensable item in local life and was even a favored gift. As recorded in the "Huzhou County Chronicles" from the Ming Dynasty's Jiajing era, Huzhou residents were already presenting goose feathers as tribute at that time. In addition, the elegant appearance of the Huzhou Taihu Goose has attracted the admiration of many local literati and scholars. Historical records indicate that during the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the famous calligraphers Wang Xizhi and his son Wang Xianzhi served as governors of Wuxing (present-day Huzhou) from the end of the fourth year to the beginning of the seventh year of the Yonghe era (348–351). They had a particular fondness for calligraphy and white geese, leading to the saying "Wang Xizhi loved geese," which has been passed down as a famous anecdote. It is precisely because of the unique cultural and historical significance of the Huzhou Taihu Goose that its breeding scale gradually expanded, making it a distinctive local agricultural product.

　　The Huzhou Taihu Goose has been raised locally for more than 1,600 years. The "Huzhou Prefecture Chronicles" record that the great calligrapher Wang Xizhi, during his tenure as governor of Huzhou, made the Taihu Goose widely known with a single character featuring the word “goose.” Shen Jianliang, head of the Huzhou Jianwang Poultry Cooperative, explained that the practice of raising Taihu Geese in Nanxun can be traced back 1,500 years to the Shen family, when geese were mainly kept for night-time household alarm purposes. "Currently, our cooperative includes 1,600 Huzhou Taihu Goose-raising households, with a total of 10,000 geese. The cooperative enforces the 'Five Unifications': unified supply of breeding stock, feed, technology, disease prevention, and unified procurement."

　　The Taihu Goose originates from the Taihu region of the Yangtze River Delta. The production area consists of densely populated cities with a thriving economy and has long been one of China’s high-yield agricultural regions. The climate is mild, with an average annual temperature of around 15°C and abundant rainfall totaling approximately 1,200 mm per year. The region is crisscrossed with rivers and dotted with lakes, rich in aquatic plants, and produces bountiful rice and wheat, earning it the reputation of a “land of fish and rice.” Goose farming has long been a secondary industry in the area.

　　The Taihu Goose has an upright posture, a delicate and compact physique, and tight-fitting feathers all over its body. Its cockscomb is round and smooth without wrinkles. Its neck is slender and arched, without a throat sac. In appearance, there is little difference between males and females, but male geese are taller and more majestic, often walking with heads held high, wings spread, emitting loud calls, and enjoying chasing and pecking at people. Female geese are gentler in temperament, with softer calls, smaller cockscombs, and shorter beaks. Their feathers are entirely white, occasionally with small grayish-brown spots near the eyes, on the crown, or along the back. The beak, shanks, and webbed feet are all orange-red, with the beak tip slightly lighter in color and the claws white. The eyelids are pale yellow, and the irises are gray-blue. Goslings are entirely creamy yellow, with yellowish-orange beaks, shanks, and webbed feet.

　　It is understood that the Taihu Goose has a breeding history of more than 1,600 years and is one of only two nationally protected livestock and poultry genetic resource breeds in Huzhou. To protectively develop the Taihu Goose’s genetic resources, the Jianwang Poultry Cooperative has partnered with Zhejiang University to establish a postdoctoral workstation branch. They actively engage in resource conservation, genetic breeding, propagation promotion, and development utilization. During the breeding process, factors that significantly affect the effectiveness of live conservation for the Taihu Goose—such as group size, age structure, gender ratio, retention methods, management systems, and generational intervals—are planned and conserved uniformly. Currently, the cooperative has established 50 core genealogical families of the Taihu Goose, maintains a core conservation population of over 3,000 geese, and has a selected production population of more than 20,000 geese.

　　On November 19, 2013, the Huzhou Jianwang Poultry Cooperative in Shanlian Town, Nanxun District, was awarded the "Agricultural Product Geographical Indication Registration Certificate" by the Ministry of Agriculture for its Huzhou Taihu Goose. This made it the first state-recognized national geographical indication livestock and poultry agricultural product in Huzhou.

　　Geographic Scope

　　The production area of the Huzhou Taihu Goose covers the entire territory of Huzhou City, including: two municipal districts—Wuxing and Nanxun—and three counties—Deqing, Changxing, and Anji—encompassing a total of 34 towns and 5 townships. It lies between 119°14′ to 120°29′ east longitude and 30°22′ to 31°11′ north latitude, spanning 126 kilometers from east to west and 90 kilometers from north to south. In 2011, the protected area had a breeding scale of 1.05 million geese, with a yield of approximately 3,675 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　(1) Body Shape and Appearance: Upright posture, delicate and compact physique, tight-fitting feathers all over the body. The cockscomb is round and smooth without wrinkles. The neck is slender and arched, without a throat sac. In appearance, there is little difference between males and females, but male geese are taller and more majestic, often walking with heads held high, wings spread, emitting loud calls, and enjoying chasing and pecking at people. Female geese are gentler in temperament, with softer calls, smaller cockscombs, and shorter beaks. Their feathers are entirely white, occasionally with small grayish-brown spots near the eyes, on the crown, or along the back. The beak, shanks, and webbed feet are all orange-red, with the beak tip slightly lighter in color and the claws white. The eyelids are pale yellow, and the cockscomb is light ginger-yellow. Goslings are entirely creamy yellow, with yellowish-orange beaks, shanks, and webbed feet. (2) Carcass Sensory Characteristics: The Huzhou Taihu Goose is of excellent quality with a unique style. After slaughter, the carcass is aesthetically pleasing. The entire body is symmetrical and clean, with full muscles, a small and non-sagging abdomen, compact skin with elasticity and sheen, and a meat-white color. The beak, feet, and webbed parts are orange-red. When the carcass is segmented, the muscles are glossy with vivid coloration, and fat distribution is even and light yellow. (3) Comparison of Production Performance Indicators of Huzhou Taihu Goose with Those from Other Regions