Passersby in Beijing during winter or early spring might happen upon groups of residents playing fetch with birds. The players blow plastic beads into the air through carbon tubes for the birds — often from the migratory wutong species — to catch and return, in exchange for a treat. It’s a Beijing tradition dating back to the Qing Dynasty, which ruled between the 17th century and early 20th century. Today, only about 50 to 60 people in Beijing are believed to still practice it.
Beijingers Play Fetch with Migratory Birds in Traditional Game
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Xie Yufeng, a 39-year-old cook, throws a bird up as he shoots a bead through a tube for it to catch in mid-air, practicing a tradition that dates back to the Qing Dynasty, outside a stadium in Beijing, China, March 26, 2024.
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A wutong bird catches beads in its beak outside a stadium in Beijing, March 26, 2024. Locals train birds of various types to perform different acts including catching beads shot out of a tube or opening boxes.
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Xie Yufeng trains a bird using a whistle outside a stadium in Beijing, March 26, 2024.
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Wutong birds rest between turns catching beads shot out of a tube in mid-air outside a stadium in Beijing, March 26, 2024.