In an Exposition, a Biologist Unveils the Ancient Animal Combat Game of 'Cricket Fighting'—Thriving for 1500 Years in This Particular Asian Country
Cricket fighting, a not-so-common sport in the West, is a household name in China. Some historians trace its origins back to the 8th century during the Tang Dynasty, when it was a favorite pastime of the Chinese elite. By the 1100s, cricket fighting had become a sophisticated culture, with handbooks and manuals dedicated to the sport.
Although briefly banned during China's Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), cricket fighting has experienced a resurgence in popularity. Its simplicity lies in two crickets of similar weights being placed in a small container and competing until one emerges victorious. However, the competition is far more complex than it seems.
Choosing the Perfect Cricket Fighter
Selecting a winning cricket has become an art form. In the past, trainers obtained crickets from their local surroundings. Now, with the rise of cricket markets, the strongest competitors often come from Shandong province's Shandong province, an eastern coastal region.
Large markets like Beijing and Shanghai offer the opportunity to purchase the crickets believed to have the best chances, usually during the fall when they are thought to be strongest. Tradition says that crickets with larger heads and mouths are optimal competitors, and recent studies confirm this, revealing that the size and proportions of male crickets' "weaponry" impact their chances of winning.
Cricket Care and Comfort
Crickets in the fighting world are treated like professional athletes. Their living spaces, known as xishuaipen, are prized for their age and believed to positively impact health. Crickets are housed inside a bedroom-like environment called a lingfang, which is removed with tweezers for grooming and feeding.
Their diets are diverse and highly personalized, ranging from human-edible items like fish, prawn heads, crabmeat, and pork to special concoctions of rice porridge and raw ingredients.
The Art of Matchmaking
Fights are meticulously planned, ensuring a fair and exciting outcome. Weighing scales provide extreme accuracy, and crickets are sometimes heated with a blow dryer or fed laxatives before a match to give them an edge. The rules are strict, with some cricket owners resorting to "doping" to enhance their crickets' performance.
Three-round fights occur in an oval-shaped ring, called a douzha. A winner is declared when one cricket successfully flees or displays defeat through fluttering wings.
While cricket fighting might seem unusual to Westerners, it has deep cultural significance in China. As a centuries-old practice, it draws upon fascinating cricket biology and the natural instincts and behaviors of these intriguing insects.
In the realm of Asian pet trade, cricket fighting has a significant following, often linked to gambling and sports betting. This Chinese tradition, despite being viewed as peculiar in the West, has impressive historical roots, tracing back to the 8th century during the Tang Dynasty.
Despite a brief ban during China's Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), the allure of cricket fighting persisted, leading to its resurgence in popularity. The success of a cricket fighter is carefully cultivated, and the strongest competitors are often sourced from Shandong province in China.
This ancient art form requires not only skill in selecting the right cricket but also a deep understanding of cricket biology and behavior. Traditionally, it was believed that crickets with larger heads and mouths had better chances of winning, but recent studies have provided scientific evidence to support this observation, revealing the impact of size and proportions on their performance.
