It was bred in Europe from birds originating in China and Japan and is distributed in many European countries.

[8] In Britain as in Germany, breeders in the early twentieth century tended to select for an upright body position.

[10] The German Pekin is listed as "seriously endangered" in the Rote Liste of the Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen, a German national association for the conservation of historic and endangered domestic animal breeds.

[12] The Pekin is heavily feathered; the plumage is creamy white with a yellowish tinge.

In Germany it has not been kept for agricultural production since about the time of the Second World War, and is a show bird.