In winter or early spring in Beijing, some residents engage in a tradition dating back to the Qing Dynasty where they play fetch with birds. This tradition traces back to the 17th century to the early ...

Forget dogs and cats - the pigeon is a beloved pet in China. And for centuries, owners tied lightweight whistles to their birds. But as cities grew, the spectral music these instruments produced ...

Toward the end of the 13th century, while a guest in the court of Kublai Khan, Marco Polo was stunned by the beautiful grassland enclosed in the imperial palace, which teemed with fruit trees and ...