It is found in Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

[2] The domesticated Thai variety and wild Chinese populations of H. chinensis belong to two separate genetic lineages respectively.

[3] Yu et al. (2015) suggest that H. chinensis may in fact be a cryptic species complex.

[3] H. chinensis is a large, robust frog, up to 12 centimetres (4+1⁄2 inches) or more in snout-vent length.

The frog's forelimbs and hind legs are fried in oil, while in the adobo method (in which the entire frog is utilized), they are cooked in soy sauce and vinegar.