#BeijingBucketList - Entry Seven: Cricket Fighting
Liu Yunjiang - Beijing’s premier cricket breeder/trainer and once-upon-a-time fighter - is one of the most enigmatic men I have ever met. Last week we took a tour through the hutongs close to the Drum and Bell towers and one of the many highlights was meeting the character that is Mr Liu. Although gambling on cricket fights is now banned the sport is still very much alive through it’s long history, ongoing events and it’s famous participants from ancient emperors to Mr Liu.
Mr Liu shows us his wares while simultaneously showing off a popular local magazine in which he was the front page feature
In ancient times the noble sport of cricket fighting was reserved for emperors and their court; with one Ming Dynasty emperor famously requiring crickets from each person as part of their tax. It was an exclusively bourgeois pursuit with expert Cricket breeders offered high ranking government positions on providing the emperor with a champion cricket.
As time has gone on the sport has become more of an everyman’s game. It has seen a revival in recent years with more people taking it up in order to re-live childhood experiences of playing outside with crickets, grasshoppers and other wildlife where televisions and toys weren’t available or even coveted.
Mr Liu’s pet grasshoppers - click HERE to see a video of one saying hello!
This was Mr Liu’s entry into the world of cricket fighting; as a young child he, along with friends and siblings used the nature around them to keep entertained. Now, after more than 50 years of insect breeding he is somewhat of a celebrity both locally and overseas. Mr Liu showed us books, magazines, and newspapers featuring him and his crickets. He told us wild tales of men tearing their houses apart searching for escaped champion crickets they had purchased for $10,000!
Mr Liu shows us a photography book he and his crickets were featured in some years ago
Now that gambling on cricket fights is illegal the cost of each one isn’t so high. For a creature that only lives for 100 days on average those who are keeping the tradition alive do so purely for the love of it. This was abundantly apparent with Mr Liu. He handled each insect as a loved pet, showed us the ‘homes’ he kept them in, the dainty tools he used to handle them (made with the whiskers of mice and the softest cotton) and even the handcrafted and elaborate miniature coffins he placed them in once their 100 days comes to an end.
Some of the many tools and trinkets needed to be a top cricket breeder/fighter
You too can meet the living legend Liu Yunjiang when taking a hutong tour with GuideWe.
We’ll be posting new entries to our #BeijingBucketList every week (usually on a Tuesday). Let us know what’s on your #BeijingBucketList by using the hashtag and tagging @GuideWeTravel in your social media posts.
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