The pigeon whistle: A defining sound of old Beijing (2019)

IF you have ever watched a movie that featured old Beijing, there is a good possibility that it contained a scene with a flock of pigeons flying over quadrangular dwellings (siheyuan), giving off a uniquely harmonic buzzing sound as they flew by. That sound is what local residents remember when they think of old Beijing. As one saying about Beijing puts it, in Beijing you can find “fermented soybean drink, deep-fried dough sticks, the Bell and Drum towers, blue skies, white clouds, and pigeon whistles.” Every city has unique sights and sounds that define it, and the “sound of old Beijing” is the pigeon whistle. Pigeon whistles (also called pigeon bells) are whistles that are tied on the tails of pigeons so that when they fly, the air that flows through the whistle creates a harmonic sound. Over the last several centuries, Beijing residents have liked to raise pigeons and let them soar through the skies every day. Regardless of whether it is a windy or sunny morning in spring or a clou ... Read full article.