I haven’t been to the Hong Kong bird market, but I’ve been to bird markets in Taiwan– and the bird market in Singapore.
When Taj Reid over at www.wejetset.com sent us a link to this lush post on song bird love in Hong Kong, and the delights to be found at the bird market, I was reminded of my own pleasures when I sat in a courtyard sipping on coffee, listening to birds sing on a Sunday morning.
Owning song birds is just not a matter of heading to the local pet store and picking up a canary, you see. In Hong Kong, as with my experience in Taiwan and Singapore, picking out the right bird and the right cage is an art that depends on personal taste.
As the post states, men are the ones who prize their birds. Like doting parents who show off their toddlers at a playground, men gather at a park with their birds in order to see which person’s bird sings the best. There is a certain order to how the cages are hung so that the owners can achieve the best responses from the birds. I never quite figured it out, but I loved trying.
As gorgeous as the birds are, the cages are just as fantastic. My favorite type of cage is similar to the ones pictured here. The white and blue floral porcelain food and water bowls are simply lovely. Check out the wetjetset post for more wonderful photos and details about birding Hong Kong style as well as the places to enjoy the singing.
(photos courtesy of wetjetset)