Friends who like koi know that Japanese koi is world-famous and well-known at home and abroad. Most of the world's famous carps come from Japan. The Taisho three-color and Showa three-color carp are named after Japanese era names. Many countries and regions also refer to these koi as "Japanese koi". Little did they know that koi carp originated in China, and the name koi carp also comes from China.

< p> Ornamental carps were cultivated in the Southern Song Dynasty in China. The poem "The clouds are sad and the sky is low, the long rain is leaning on the sill and the cold is cold, the silk birds hide the fragrance of lotus, and the koi shadows around the island" written by Lu Guimeng in the Tang Dynasty were the first to put forward the concept of koi. name. Koi later flowed into Japan, and after about 200 years of species improvement in Japan, it was introduced to all over the world. It can be said that ornamental carp originated in China and was named koi, while contemporary koi originated in Japan. So the question is, why can't koi be genetically improved and carried forward in China, but instead be bred in large numbers in Japan and become popular all over the world? This should start from the following three aspects.

The first reason is historical reasons

As we all know, the dragon is the totem symbol of the unity of the Chinese nation. The feudal emperor regarded himself as the real dragon emperor and had the exclusive right to use the dragon totem. If people use dragon patterns without authorization, they will be regarded as usurping power and treason, which will lead to disaster. Since ancient times, there has been a legend about carp jumping over the Dragon Gate in China, so carp has always been considered a symbol of the dragon. Therefore, private breeding of ornamental carp is restricted. This kind of restriction reached its peak in the Tang Dynasty. The emperor's surname was "Li", which has the same pronunciation as "carp", and carp also means turning into a dragon. Therefore, ordinary people did not dare to raise koi carp, and they would release koi carp as soon as they were caught. , not to mention genetic improvement. This is the reason why koi carps have not been widely cultured and evolved in China for a long time.

The second reason is that goldfish have been well improved and developed in China, while koi has not been taken seriously.

< p>The third reason is that the color of goldfish conforms to ancient aesthetics. The color of goldfish has different degrees of gradients. The color of koi is relatively pure. Red, white, black, and gold are too full and do not conform to traditional Chinese aesthetics. . So it is not taken seriously.

The above three reasons have led to the rapid development of koi in Japan, establishing Japan’s leading position in the koi industry7. Through several generations of breed improvement, the Japanese have cultivated colorful and diverse varieties. koi carp. With the development of the koi industry, Japan regards koi as a work of art, calling it a "living gem in the water" and a "swimming art piece" and promoting it to the world. However, China's koi industry has also developed rapidly in recent decades. It has reached large-scale breeding and the quality is getting better and better, which has greatly narrowed the gap with Japanese koi. Koi, a fish that combines the dual characteristics of an ornamental fish and a pet, will definitely be loved by more people.