Cricket fighting
Cricket fighting | |
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Hanyu Pinyin | dòu xīshuài |
Cricket fighting is a hobby and gambling activity involving the fighting of male
History
Cricket fighting was nurtured by Tang dynasty emperors more than 1,000 years ago, and later popularized by commoners. In the thirteenth century, the
Culture
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Cricket season begins in summer and championships take place after the
, the Association for Cricket Fighting organizes cricket fighting events and championships.While it is illegal in China to gamble on cricket fights, the fights themselves are legal and occur in most big cities in China.[4] Crickets are sold openly in street markets, with more than a dozen cricket markets in Shanghai alone. In 2010 more than 400 million yuan (US$63 million) were spent in China on crickets.
Hotels in Macau have held cricket fights where bets up to thousands of patacas were waged on a single fight. Prized crickets have become famous, with funeral services on their death.
In Hong Kong, the popularity of cricket fighting has declined since the 1950s and 60s, partly due to pesticides reducing the supply of fighters. In 2004, a champion cricket could cost more than $2,500.[4] Lesser fighters could be bought from bird stalls for up to $30, or searched for in rural areas.[5]
Care and breeding
The best crickets are from a few counties in northeastern
Flight and anger
Crickets fights are arranged according to weight class.[6] In a fighting container, handlers stimulate their cricket's antennae using a straw stick, causing the crickets to become aggressive. When both crickets are sufficiently agitated, a divider separating the pair will be lifted, and the two crickets will begin the match. The loser is the cricket that first begins avoiding contact, runs away from battle, stops chirping, or is thrown from the fighting container.
Studies done indicate that the sense of "flying" encourages a cricket's fighting spirit.[7] In one such study, a losing cricket put back into the ring will only go back to fight one out of ten times.[7] If crickets are shaken and thrown in the air repeatedly, they will fight again six out of ten times.[7]
Tournaments
The Yu Sheng Cup,
See also
References
- ^ Cricket matches - Chinese style Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine Xu Xiaomin Shanghai Star. 2003-09-04
- ^ a b CTV: Ancient sport of cricket fighting loses popularity in China
- ^ a b c d e f "Chirps and Cheers: China's Crickets Clash". New York Times. November 5, 2011.
- ^ a b Hogg, Chris (16 August 2004). "HK arrests 'insect gamblers'". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
- ^ "Cricket-fight 'betting' club busted". South China Morning Post. Alibaba Group. 16 August 2004. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
- ^ Bradley, Dan (Producer). Frank, Joshua (Host). (2 December 2014). A Day of Cricket Fighting in Beijing. Vice Media. Event occurs at 2'06". Retrieved 8 July 2018.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-76276-385-6.
- ^ a b Kaushik "Cricket Fighting Contests in China". Amusing Planet, 9 Nov 2011. Accessed 11 Jan 2015.
- ^ "Chongming County" in the Encyclopedia of Shanghai, pp. 50 ff. Archived January 10, 2015, at the Wayback Machine Shanghai Scientific & Technical Publishers (Shanghai), 2010. Hosted by the Municipality of Shanghai.