Ecological Breeding of Taihe Black-bone Chicken Boosts Rural Vitalization

On November 20, the delegation of the Human Rights Action in China - 2025 Jiangxi Tour paid a visit to Wangbei village in Mashi town, Taihe county, Ji’an city. Officials and representatives from international organizations, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, together with Chinese experts, scholars, and media members toured the Taihe black-bone chicken ecological breeding base to gain insights into its eco-friendly breeding practices and value-added processing procedures.

Holding a nationally renowned trademark, the Taihe black-bone chicken boasts a breeding history of more than 2,200 years. Endowed with 10 distinctive characteristics and a combination of medicinal, nutritional, and ornamental value, it has earned the reputation of the “world’s rare poultry”. The county now runs one conservation reserve, one national-level breed conservation farm and 91 large-scale breeding and processing enterprises, offering 8 major product categories with more than 140 varieties and generating an annual output value of US$1.01 billion.

Wangbei village, the birthplace of Taihe black-bone chicken, maintains over 10,000 square meters of bamboo forests where free-range density is strictly regulated (50–80 birds per mu). The chickens sip spring water and feed on wild insects forming a unique eco-friendly breeding system. The village prioritizes safeguarding villagers’ rights to information, expression, participation, and supervision in rural governance. Through a “Party building + enterprises + cooperatives + farmers” model, more than 50 households and over 100 residents are engaged in the industry with each participating household seeing an annual income increase of over US$1,400.