Bird Market

Ran through the Bird Market in Mongkok a couple of days ago.  

Our father had kept some parrots when the three of us were growing up.  I remember distinctly a white one and a grey one.  They could say simple words such as “Hello!” Perhaps because of these memories, I have always been fond of birds.  And I like to visit the Bird Market. 

Most of the birds are quite small.  Some are kept for their looks.  They are cute, beautiful.  Some like looking at people.  But they can also be easily startled, scared. 

Others are valued for their calls.  Some have a loud, piercing voice.  Others chirpy and sweet.  

Some can talk.

Many of the cages are really exquisite.  Truly works of art. 

I do a bit of wood work myself.  I know it is not easy to make the spokes so slender and straight, perfectly rounded.  So evenly spaced, curved to the same degree.  Each cage with a small door sliding open so smoothly.  Some doors are embedded into the rest of the sage so well that it takes some effort to discover. 

There is a whole economy and culture of bird keeping, developed over thousands of years.  What types sing, in what way.  Who can learn to speak.  What to feed them. Who eats what types of worms. Who eats what types of crickets.  How to keep them healthy and happy.  How to encourage them to sing.  How to make those cages.  What type of wood and bamboo work the best.  How to maintain them.  

There are also birds not for keeping.  But to sell to Buddhists who like to release them to the wild, for merit. 

There are fewer people at the market these days.  Fewer shops.  Fewer birds.  Little business conducted.  Much quieter.  It used to be a lot busier, lively.  

It is rather odd.  Just when Hong Kong is trying to attract more visitors, tourists, the Bird Market is receiving less attention.  The powers that be seems more interested in creating new attractions, rather then preserving, developing something that should be inherently quite interesting, valuable. 

Of course, some people object to keeping birds in cages.  That is a completely different ball game.