Rare Pig Breed Becomes the Center of Attention After Viral Video Spreads on Social Media.
Unique Pig Breed
Some tourists in China are paying 8,888 yuan (approximately $1,230) to rent a hotel room with a “view” of some of the rarest and most valuable pigs in China. This breed is the traditional ingredient for the world-famous Jinhua smoked pork dish.
According to SCMP, the room is located on the first floor of a castle-shaped building in an amusement park in Zhejiang province, eastern China, featuring a sealed window that overlooks a pigpen on the ground floor, allowing guests to see – but not smell – the animals below.
A video clip showcasing the room and its unique view has garnered 6 million views on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, since it was posted on June 25 by Zhejiang media outlet, Tianmu News.
Dubbed the Disneyland of Jinhua, the amusement park opened in 2021 to promote this special pig breed. They are also nicknamed “panda pigs” due to their distinct black heads and tails, with a white strip in the middle.
The Jinhua Pig – originally named “two-headed black pig” – has been favored by the Chinese for at least 1,200 years.
This breed is nicknamed the “panda pig” due to its unique black head and tail.
This breed is best known for being the source of the traditional Jinhua smoked pork, which is considered comparable to Italy’s Prosciutto di Parma and Spain’s Jamón Ibérico.
Some believe that Marco Polo brought the secrets of Jinhua smoked pork to Europe in the 13th century, leading to the development of this delicacy outside of China.
Conservation Efforts
This special breed is not only visually reminiscent of giant pandas, but it is also extremely rare.
A 2016 report from Qianjiang Evening News indicated that the population of these pigs in Jinhua is only about 75,000 to 80,000 individuals per year, accounting for 3 to 4% of the total pig population in the city.
Despite being famous for producing the finest Jinhua smoked pork – characterized by firm meat, thin skin, and small bones – local farmers do not favor the “panda pig” as they often raise foreign pig breeds that can grow nearly twice as large in half the time.
This breed has become so rare that a farm in Japan, which also raises panda pigs, has nicknamed it the “illusion pig.”
An amusement park in China is offering luxury hotel rooms with views of the continent’s most prized pigs. Room rates can go up to $1,230 per night.
To promote and preserve this famous breed, local authorities have established an amusement park dedicated to honoring this precious pig.
The facility includes a museum specifically for panda pigs, as well as a café and meeting rooms.
According to an article in the Economic Daily, guests who book rooms to view the prized pigs can also take home a panda pig or enjoy pork dishes year-round for about 6,000 yuan (approximately $830).
In 2016, the Jinhua government allocated 5 million yuan for research and development of the two-headed black pig breed.
One project focused on maximizing the value of this breed by developing a set of standards for dividing the meat into primary and secondary cuts.
