2 min readNew DelhiMar 8, 2026 03:35 PM IST
A Chinese man discovered gold inside a duck while slaughtering it. Liu from Longhui County, Hunan Province, discovered gold particles worth Rs 1,62,000 in the duck’s stomach in February, the South China Morning Post reported.
A burning test confirmed the particles were genuine gold, weighing approximately 10 g and valued at nearly 12,000 yuan (around Rs 1,62,000), Xinwenfang reported.
Liu’s father saw the discovery as a good omen for the coming year. He explained that the ducks were raised free-range near a river previously known for gold mining and may have ingested mud containing gold.
Gold cannot be digested or absorbed by the body and typically passes through the digestive system without harm, according to the SCMP report. However, larger or impure pieces of gold can sometimes cause intestinal blockages or poisoning in both humans and animals.
Liu noted that such findings are not unheard of, adding that a few other villagers had discovered gold in ducks before, though not in such quantities.
The Longhui County Natural Resources Bureau told Jiupai News that a professional institution would need to verify whether the particles are indeed gold. Officials added that villagers found more than 10 g of gold while washing sand in the same river last year.
An official told The Paper, a digital newspaper, that determining ownership of the gold found inside the duck could be complicated. The rare find also highlights a practice from the Tang dynasty (618–907), when farmers collected gold particles from duck and goose droppings.
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Gold prices in China ranged from 1,140 yuan to 1,190 yuan (Rs 14,850 to Rs 15,480) per gram. During the Spring Festival, a woman in Chengdu transformed 6 g of gold jewellery into golden nail art, the report added.
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