Pigeon raiser | China

The ancient art of raising homing pigeons thrives in China even today. We met a veteran pigeon raiser to understand how it works. The sound of bird whistles permeates through the air as flocks of pigeons sweep across the Beijing sky in playful flight. Raising homing pigeons is both a hobby and sport in China. These pigeons can sell for thousands of dollars because of their unique ability to find their way back home even after hundreds of kilometers of flight.
Zou Liming has raised homing pigeons for decades and still keeps at least a 100 on his hutong rooftop in Beijing. The hobby is often referred to as ‘circling pigeons’. Pigeon owners like Zou release their birds in the mornings and evenings to fly freely around in circles above their homes.
Releasing pigeons during ceremonies has lately become symbolic in China, serving as a symbol of peace. In recent years, a lot of large-scale activities have featured the ceremonial flying of homing pigeons. For instance, the 70th anniversary of anti-fascism, the 70th anniversary of National Day and the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. The hutong where Zou lives is not far from Tiananmen Square, with an aerial distance of about six kilometers.
After attending such major events, pigeons are equipped with special foot rings to acknowledge their participation. Zou usually collects these foot rings after the pigeons die.