Qiuxing (Joy in autumn)

People in Qinhuai area call cricketfight in autumn as “Qiuxing”. Particular attention is required for catching and raising crickets. A cover made of iron-wire is used to catch crickets, so as to prevent the hand from being hurt. Crickets are raised in a flat and round earthen pot with a cover and a small feeder inside. The scene of holding a cricketfight is quite solemn. There is a special venue for such a fight in addition to containers of different sizes for crickets. When gambling over the cricketfight goes on between two persons, many people stand by, guessing the result. When the fight takes place, each of the two persons respectively puts into the pot a cricket which is stimulated by a piece of yard grass of about three inches long with its tip appearing white. Those standing by after laying a wager try to make a guess about which cricket will win. Cricketfight is truly “Qiuxing” (Joy in autumn).