Northeast rice is renowned nationwide, and Yingkou sits at the southernmost tip of Northeast China’s rice-growing belt along the lower reaches of the Liao River. Its unparalleled geography, soil and water conditions create an ideal environment for high-quality rice cultivation.

Yingkou rice has a long production history. Back in the Qing Dynasty, its plump, glossy white grains and pure flavor made it tribute rice for the imperial court. Starting from the 1960s, Yingkou rice gained nationwide fame and was supplied to canteens of state institutions including the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

To break the bottleneck restricting the large-scale development of Yingkou rice, the Yingkou Rice Industry Association was founded in 2004. In November that year, the association submitted an application to the State Administration for Industry and Commerce to register the collective geographical indication trademark "Yingkou Rice", which was unsuccessful. In November 2008, the Gaizhou Agricultural Technology Promotion Center filed a new application for the certification geographical indication trademark "Yingkou Rice", which was successfully registered in May 2009.