Huzhou Lake Sheep

Huzhou Lake Sheep

Huzhou Lake Sheep is a product with a geographical indication for agricultural products.

　　Huzhou Lake Sheep is a specialty of Deqing in Huzhou, Zhejiang Province.

　　Huzhou Lake Sheep originally went by the name "Hu sheep." They are derived from the Mongolian sheep of northern China and have a history of more than 1,000 years. According to historical documents, when the Southern Song Dynasty relocated its capital to Lin'an, a significant population from the Yellow River basin moved south, bringing with them the "large white sheep" that were raised in Hebei, Shandong, and Henan, mainly settling in the Taihu Lake basin around the border of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. The Song Dynasty text "Tan Zhi" also records that Lake Sheep were initially distributed mainly in counties such as Anji and Changxing in northwestern Zhejiang. Over time, they gradually moved from mountainous areas to plains and transitioned from free-range grazing to stall feeding. Through long-term domestication and selective breeding, the Lake Sheep breed gradually took shape. Since the 21st century, the demand for lamb has been increasing along with rising prices. Large-scale, ecological, and standardized breeding practices have continued to develop, leading to rapid growth in the Huzhou Lake Sheep industry. Huzhou has hosted multiple Lake Sheep Culture Festivals and sheep competitions, promoting the culture surrounding the sheep. Nanxun District's Lian Town was awarded the honorary title of "Famous Town of Lake Sheep Culture," while Changxing County's Lushan Township was recognized as the "Hometown of Huzhou Lake Sheep in Zhejiang." In 2015, Lushan Lake Sheep from Changxing received the national title of "Top Ten Charming Agricultural Products." Deqing's Xinshi Lake-style sliced lamb was included in the "China Famous Dishes Collection." Huzhou’s Lian Town was honored by the Zhejiang Provincial Catering Association as the "No. 1 Town for Braised Lamb."

　　Region: Zhejiang

　　Applicant: Huzhou Municipal Bureau of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine

　　Region: 2014

　　Geographic Scope

　　The production area of Huzhou Lake Sheep covers the entire territory of Huzhou City, including two districts—Wuxing and Nanxun—and three counties: Deqing, Changxing, and Anji. It is specifically distributed across 44 towns (townships) and 511 administrative villages. The land borders Yuhang District of Hangzhou, Tongxiang City of Jiaxing, Wujiang City of Jiangsu, Ningguo and Guangde Counties of Anhui, and Yixing City of Jiangsu to the north, and is adjacent to Taihu Lake. Located between 119°14′ and 120°29′ east longitude, and 30°22′ and 31°11′ north latitude, it spans 126 kilometers from east to west and 90 kilometers from north to south, covering a total area of 5,818 square kilometers.