Hengshui Goldfish

In 1982, Mr. Xu Licai, the tenth generation descendant of a family that kept royal goldfish in Beijing, started breeding goldfish at a goldfish farm in Hengshui. Mr. Xu Licai has rescued and cultivated more than ten varieties of goldfish, and there are currently 64 varieties. The more valuable ones include: Crane Crown Red, King-shaped Tiger Head, Cinnabar Eye Blister, Magpie Flower Dragon Eye Ball, and Twelve Pieces of Red Dragon. Eyes, agate eyes, orange petal lion head, red rabbit eye tiger head and white jade crown, etc.

Houtian brushes

The pen-making industry in Houdian began in the second year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty and flourished in the Qing Dynasty. According to legend, during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, there was a brush maker named Li Wenkui in Houdian who opened a brush shop in Beijing. Because of his excellent brushes, he was spotted by a eunuch who loved calligraphy. After being recommended by Guangxu, he was awarded the title of "Royal Painting Brush" by Guangxu, and his reputation grew rapidly. Scholars and officials in the capital rushed to buy Li Wenkui's "Houtian Writing Brush", and the brush shop became increasingly prosperous. Since then, Houdian's unique pen-making craftsmanship has been passed down from generation to generation.

The main raw materials of Houdian brushes are animal vellus hair and tail hair. More than 40 kinds of vellus hair are selected, including yellow wolf tail, sweet fox tail, stone badger hair, southern goat hair, and ox ear hair. Winter hair is the best. It goes through five major processes of water basin, dry work, odd jobs, straight tube engraving, and packaging. Thirteen small processes are required to make brushes of different specifications, shapes and uses.

Wuyi buckle bowl

The buckle bowl mentioned here is not a dish but a table of steamed bowls. It is said that since the Song Dynasty, the custom of using bowls to hold banquets has been in the rural areas of Wuyi. During major events such as weddings and children, funerals of the elderly, and gatherings of friends, bowls are used to entertain guests and friends. By the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Wuyi bowls had become famous. In the 39th year of Kangxi (1700), Emperor Kangxi visited Jizhou, Zhengding Prefecture. He passed by this place and accidentally tasted it. He was so impressed that he named it one of the "Top Ten Bowls in Wuyi". And it was designated as one of the royal meals. Since then, its reputation has become even more famous, and there is an endless stream of tasters.

Raoyang Tofu Nao

Han Yu, the founder of Raoyang Tofu Nao, makes a living selling tofu nao in Raoyang Chengguan. As early as the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, due to his exquisite ingredients, it has become a well-known flavor food in Raoyang area. The method of making Hanyu is to boil chicken and pork soup, then add cinnamon, cloves, fennel, aniseed, and fried sauce. Cook until the chicken is crispy and the soup is mellow but not greasy. When eating, put fresh tofu brains in the bowl, then pour the cooked stewed soup, add some chili oil, sesame oil, and coriander.

Malian jujube

Malian jujube is a specialty of Zaoqiang County and has a cultivation history of more than 3,000 years. According to historical records: Zaoqiang has developed agricultural and forestry production and rich fruit resources, especially red dates. According to "Historical Records: Biography of Youxia", Zaoqiang is known as "Jijin City". During the Han Dynasty, it became a place rich in red dates, so it was named "Zaoqiang" because of the strong jujube trees. Malian jujube is one of the famous and special fruit trees in Hebei Province. In 1992, it was rated first in the province's red dates appraisal meeting; in 1997, it won the title of High-Quality Fruit at the First Agricultural Expo of Hebei Province, and the provincial government issued a certificate; from 1998 to 2003, it continuously won the title of Hebei Province's Famous Agricultural Products, and was issued a certificate of recognition. ; In 2000, it won the gold medal at the National Red Dates Fair.

Other specialties of Hengshui City include: Wuqiang New Year pictures, Hengshui painted snuff bottles, Shenzhou peaches, Anping wire mesh, Raoyang golden noodles, Gucheng Longfeng tribute noodles, Hengshui Lake roast duck eggs, Hengshui Neihua, Julu Sausage, Hengshui Laobaigan, etc.