Mountain-grown seafood: Salmon from N China's Shanxi surprises netizens

"Is it really a specialty of my hometown? Have they been secretly producing it and hiding it just from me?" Internet users across China have expressed surprise at the discovery that products that seemed impossible to produce in their hometowns are in fact their local specialties.

Of the internet users who cried "I'm a stranger in my own hometown," those from north China's Shanxi Province were surprised by the fact that Jincheng, a city tucked deep in the Taihang Mountains in the province, has been producing salmon, which they thought could only be found in the ocean.

Photo shows slices of salmon. (Photo courtesy of the media convergence center of Qinshui county, Jincheng city, north China's Shanxi Province)

In Zhangfeng village, Zhengzhuang township, Qinshui county, Jincheng city, where there is no sea, a company operates a large salmon farm that is also the largest cold water fish breeding base in northern China.

According to the company, Shanxi Qinze Agricultural Development Co., Ltd., the salmon species raised on the farm are highly migratory species introduced from Denmark.

Thanks to the farm, fresh salmon has not only been supplied to local people in Shanxi, but also served on the dining tables of families across the country.

Salmon farming requires two basic conditions: quality water and suitable temperatures, both of which can be provided by the reservoir of Zhangfeng village, according to Hu Jinfu, an executive of Shanxi Qinze Agricultural Development Co., Ltd.

Photo shows an aerial view of Qinshui county, Jincheng city, north China's Shanxi Province. (Photo courtesy of the media convergence center of Qinshui county)

The water of the company's fish farm comes from the local reservoir, whose excellent unpolluted water meets drinking standards and whose temperature remains stable year-round at around 12 degrees Celsius, ideal for raising cold water fish, Hu explained.

The salmon produced on the farm is extremely popular among consumers in many Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing and Shenyang, according to Hu.

With an annual output of 400 tonnes of adult fish, the farm generates over 20 million yuan ($2.81 million) in revenue and more than 5 million yuan in net profit, Hu said.

By offering jobs to locals from poor households, the farm has helped 516 people from 253 households across 18 villages and four townships shake off poverty and embark on a road to prosperity.

Photo shows a salmon farm in Qinshui county, Jincheng city, north China's Shanxi Province. (Photo courtesy of the media convergence center of Qinshui county)

Recently, a wave of gift-giving between Chinese cities has swept China. It began with south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region sending truckloads of honey mandarins to Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, to thank Heilongjiang for taking good care of eleven preschoolers who enjoyed a rewarding study tour in Heilongjiang's cities of Mohe and Harbin.

In return, Heilongjiang sent 100,000 boxes of locally produced cranberries to Guangxi, which surprised many locals, who thought cranberries had always been imported from overseas.

Workers load salmon onto a truck at a salmon farm in Qinshui county, Jincheng city, north China's Shanxi Province. (Photo courtesy of the media convergence center of Qinshui county)

With Harbin emerging as the superstar of China's winter tourism market this year, more tour groups have flocked to the city for a colorful winter experience, and have found the locals to be very warm-hearted and welcoming.

Touched by the hospitality of the local people, more regions have sent their local specialties to Harbin as thank-you gifts, which gradually evolved into a heart-warming wave of goodwill across the country.

The wave has unexpectedly triggered a nationwide agricultural survey, revealing local specialties that even locals did not know were produced in their hometowns.

Workers pour newly caught salmon into a large bucket at a salmon farm in Qinshui county, Jincheng city, north China's Shanxi Province. (Photo courtesy of the media convergence center of Qinshui county)

An employee shows off a large salmon in a workshop of a salmon farm in Qinshui county, Jincheng city, north China's Shanxi Province. (Photo courtesy of the media convergence center of Qinshui county)