Originally people hunted swans and geese for sustenance so that they themselves could live. A Chinese folk song runs, "Old goose, old goose, throw it in the pot with noodles; old swan, old swan throw it in the pot and make some soup."
曾經，射殺天鵝，是當地民眾滿足直接生存需要的行為，民謠有：「老雁老雁，掉鍋吃麵，老蒼老蒼，掉鍋喝湯」。