Over 1,800 Jinhua hams are hung to dry at Jinnian Ham Company in Jinhua, East China's Zhejiang province, on Nov 24. [Photo/WeChat account: jhnews_jh]

The Jinhua ham industry held an ancestor worship ceremony for the first time to honor traditional ham-making techniques in front of Baoning Gate in Jinhua Ancient City in Jinhua, East China's Zhejiang province, on Nov 27.

Jinhua ham is one of the world's most famous hams and has a history of more than 1,200 years, dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

Unlike preserved pork, Jinhua ham has a complicated production process. It uses the hind legs of a unique type of pig native to Jinhua. The process involves 48 steps, including curing, modeling, washing, drying, and fermenting. The entire process usually takes at least one year.

In 2020, 3 million Jinhua hams were produced, with a value of 1.6 billion yuan ($250.55 million).

The city's application to build a national geographical indication product protection demonstration area was approved in September. Its output value is expected to increase by more than 15 percent annually after Jinhua's such application is approved.