White Cranes in China

Since this blog is named after a crane, or poems that had to do with cranes, it would be appropriate to look into the lives of these magnificent creatures.

According to Chinese writer Liu Aimin (刘爱民), most white cranes lay their eggs in Siberia, and a single birth usually yields up to two eggs. After the two baby cranes were hatched, the parents would force the two to compete so that only the stronger one will survive. This may sound cruel, but is said to be the reason for the species' survival. Indeed, white cranes can live up to 65 years old.

The reason for ensuring that the fittest survive is also a real and practical one. Four months after the baby cranes were born, they'd have to fly away for the winter, usually in China's Fanyang Lake (鷭阳湖).

Among wild animals, white cranes are considered a a rare breed. In Japan and Russia, scientists were usually able to spot three or five white cranes clustered together. So much so that the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) had even declared white cranes an endangered species.

But in the early 1980s, China discovered thousands of white cranes in Fanyang Lake. Many foreign experts initially did not believe China's discovery. They thought that the Chinese had mistaken other species as white cranes.

But when WWF experts visited Fanyang Lake, they were amazed by what they saw. A sea of white cranes appeared before their very eyes - 2,900 of the magnificent creatures!

The experts reportedly exclaimed: "This is the second Great Wall that God had given to China!"

According to an estimate, the number of white cranes in Fanyang Lake made up 98 per cent of the world's population, Liu noted in his article 人与鸟 (or "Man and Bird") in 空谈 (Empty Talk or Airwave Talk, Zhongguo Guangbo Dianshi Publishing Press, 2000).

Actually the experts were really bizarre. God did not actually "give" China the first Great Wall. The Wall was forcibly ditched upon the country. The Wall was also built on the spirits of countless who had perished while building it. Very very different from the "second Great Wall."