What are the classifications of birdcages in Beijing?

Bird cages of Beijingers can be divided into indigo cages, thrush cages, red cages and lark cages according to their shapes and sizes.

Indigo cages are made of thin bamboo with white stubble, and some are painted. Cylindrical, about 9 inches in diameter.

The red cage is rectangular, which is a cage for raising red children. There is a kind of "Qiu Zi cage" with a semicircular upper part, and the whole cage is like a round hood. This cage can also be used to keep birds, such as yellow birds.

The blackbird cage is one foot and two inches in diameter, twice as high as the indigo cage, with thick bars, which is suitable for raising blackbirds.

The cage catcher is a big hook installed at the top of the birdcage, and has four catching legs at the bottom. It is made of steel, iron and copper and is used to hang the birdcage on the beam.

There are perches in the cage for birds to perch and grind their teeth. There are single and double perches. Birds can avoid bird droppings from touching the bottom of the cage when landing, thus keeping their feathers clean.

The drinking water tank is ceramic, with a big mouth and a small belly.

The food jar is filled with hard food, such as millet, perilla, millet and eggs mixed with millet.

Bird owners should also be equipped with brushes for washing cages, spoons for feeding chickens, and covers made of blue, black or gray cloth. Covering can prevent birds from being disturbed and provide shelter from wind and shade.

It is not uncommon for men, women and children to wear melon hats, long coats and blue cloth birdcages. They go to the streets, suburbs and rivers of Beijing to walk the birds every morning, rain or shine.

After walking the birds, they will come to the teahouse and taste the birds while drinking tea.