This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary metabolic energy (ME) and crude protein (CP) levels on growth performance, slaughter performance and meat quality of Erlang mountain chicken aged from 1 to 28 days. This experiment took a 3×3 factorial design with 3 ME levels (10.88, 12.13 and 13.39 MJ/kg) and 3 CP levels (16%, 19% and 22%). A total of 1 800 one-day-old chickens were randomly divided into 9 groups with 6 replicates per group and 30 chickens per replicate. The chickens in each group were fed 9 kinds of diets with different ME and CP levels during 1 to 28 days of age, respectively, and then fed the same diet with the same ME and CP levels during 29 to 73 days of age. The experiment lasted for 73 d. The results showed as follows: average daily feed intake of chickens during 1 to 28, 29 to 49 and 1 to 73 days of age and feed to gain ratio of chickens during 1 to 28 and 1 to 73 days of age were significantly affected by dietary ME level for 1 to 28 days of age (P<0.05). Average gain of chickens during 1 to 28 and 50 to 73 days of age and average daily feed intake of chickens during 1 to 28 days of age were significantly affected by dietary CP level for 1 to 28 days of age (P<0.05). And so was the feed to gain ratio of chickens during 1 to 28, 50 to 73 and 1 to 73 days of age (P<0.05). Slaughter performance of chickens aged 73 days was not significantly affected by dietary ME and CP levels for 1 to 28 days of age (P>0.05). Pectorales' pH at 45 min after slaughter was significantly affected by dietary ME level for 1 to 28 days of age (P<0.05). Pectorales' L^* value at 24 h after slaughter was significantly affected by dietary CP level for 1 to 28 days of age (P<0.05). Apparent utilization of dry matter, ME and CP was significantly affected by dietary ME level for 1 to 28 days of age (P<0.05), and increased with the increasing of ME level. Apparent utilization of dry matter, ME and CP was significantly affected by dietary CP level for 1 to 28 days of age (P<0.05). In conclusion, with index of the average weight at 1 to 28 days of age, the appropriate dietary ME and CP levels for Erlang mountain chicken aged 1 to 28 days are 10.88 MJ/kg and 22%, respectively. With index of the feed to gain ratio at 1 to 28 days of age, the appropriate dietary ME and CP levels for Erlang mountain chicken aged 1 to 28 days are 13.39 MJ/kg and 22%, respectively. With index of the growth performance at 29 to 73 days of age, the appropriate dietary ME and CP levels for Erlang mountain chicken aged 1 to 28 days are 12.13 MJ/kg and 16%, respectively. There is a subsequent effect on growth performance of mountain chicken by dietary ME and CP levels for 1 to 28 days of age, and shows a characteristic of compensatory growth.