China has an age old tradition of gambling and of keeping strange pets and it's not a rare occation to hear the chirping of a cricket whilst on the subway. Walking through the shanghai streets, especially on Chong Qing Bei Lu near peoples square cricket vendors can be found in little stalls lining the streets. Although available all year round, crickets of all kinds are sold as pets. Many of these cricket pets are destined to be fighters. Egged on by a stick, elderly chinese men pit one against the other in tiny little pens. The crickets are kept in a variety of homes ranging from traditional wooden boxes and cages to a more modern plastic contraptions. They are fed one soy bean a day and live up to 3 or 4 months.