Across China: Xinjiang city bets on fighting fowl to woo tourists

After a fierce fight, silver-haired Ismail Iblahim took out his medicated liquor and prepared to give the champion a massage.

"This helps him relax," explained Ismail Iblahim, 60, while trying to soothe the winner, a big black rooster.

The man and his bird live in Turpan in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The city, located less than 200 kilometers from the regional capital Urumqi, is famous for its vineyards and hot, dry climate.

Turpan's famed Flaming Mountains, which appeared in the Chinese classic "A Journey to the West," and its ancient ruins, Buddhist grottoes and other archaeological sites drew 5.12 million tourists last year, up 10.68 percent from the year before.

According to Perhat Kadir, an official with Turpan's city government, close to 100,000 people, or about one-sixth of the city's population, are involved in the game fowl trade.

The city is one of four in China with a long cockfighting tradition, and locals are hoping the sport will help them grab a chunk of Turpan's growing tourism revenue, which reached 5.1 billion yuan in 2015, a yearly increase of 15.23 percent.

Perhat Kadir wants cockfighting to become a major industry and tourist draw for the city.

"Just like Spain is famous for bullfighting, we hope that cockfighting can become a hallmark for Turpan," the official said.

RITUAL AND REWARD

Cockfighting has been an important pastime in Turpan for more than 280 years.

Unlike chickens raised for food, which mainly eat grain, game fowl are raised on sorghum, beef, walnuts, eggs and tomato. Fighting roosters are big and belligerent, with strong legs and cherry-colored cockscombs.

Following his father and grandfather, Ismail Iblahim has been raising fighting cocks for 40 years. Before the contests, he takes his roosters out for a sunbath. After a match, he bathes the exhausted birds in water infused with Chinese herbal medicine.

Called the "Cockfighting Tsar," Ismail Iblahim is now well-known in fighting circles.

"In a match, I can tell which rooster is going to win after only a glimpse at them," he said proudly. His roosters have won many gold and silver medals regionally.

In contests held between April 2 and 8, three of his roosters won their matches, two lost and five ended in a draw.

"The results were pretty good," he said.

He now works for Bari Hupur, known as "Cockfighting Bari," who has been organizing cockfighting contests for 10 years. Bari Hupur has a big courtyard for hosting matches, and he charges spectators an admission fee and sells refreshments.

Ismail Iblahim earns an average of 5,000 yuan (about 771 U.S. dollars) a month from raising and training the birds, a handsome amount in the city, and his roosters are worth 10,000 to 30,000 yuan each.

BIG PLANS, NEW CONTROVERSY

Perhat Kadir, who heads a development team for the city's cockfighting industry, told Xinhua that a cockfighting association will be established by the end of the year to promote the sport and draw tourists from across China.

"We are going to set up arenas in markets and bazaars to boost people's interest in the sport," he said.

He also noted that the industry will be strictly regulated.

"We will bring it into the daylight from underground so that illegal gambling is eliminated," he added.

Not everyone is enthusiastic about the city's new tourism strategy. Many consider cockfighting a form of of animal cruelty, and the practice is not without controversy in China.

"The culture of a nation should progress along with its economic growth. Isn't it crooked to seek pleasure from two creatures fighting, even watching them die, in front of you?" said He Yong, country director with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) in China.

Ismail Iblahim said it is hard to watch his roosters get hurt.

"Several years ago, a rooster fell ill. I brought him to the vet, who gave him medicine and an injection, but we couldn't save him. I felt really helpless," he recalled.

In a match not long before, his rooster "Black Chap" died after fighting for four hours. The man was heartbroken.

"I don't want them to be injured either," he said. "Each time after a match, I take them to the vet."

An official from the Turpan Bureau of Culture, Broadcasting, Sports and Film, who identified himself only as "Alim," told Xinhua it never occurred to him the sport would cause controversy.

"I just hope that the traditional game can help locals improve their lives," he said. Endi