The rooster, a kind of domestic fowls, comes in many varieties, such as carnivorous roosters, local roosters, mountain roosters, game roosters, black-bone roosters and ornamental roosters. An ornamental roosters can be as small as a sparrow, while a carnivorous one can be as big as half a goat. As to the game roosters, the breed is even more complex. Historical records show the game roosters prevailed in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Nowadays, there are also venues for rooster fighting at some tourist destinations serving as tourist attractions.

The rooster is a very precious animal, with treasures all over its body.

For example, the feathers have many functions. They can be used to make feather dusters, which can help clear away dust and dirt. In some places, they are used to show the importance of the information to be delivered. For example, a letter with no feather is of no importance and does not require instant delivery. However, a letter with three feathers is considered extremely important, and requires enormous care and instant delivery.

The rooster's other parts also have much use. Chicken meat tastes fresh and delicious, and can be cooked in many ways. The membrane of a rooster's gizzard can be used as medicine, which can help promote digestion. The eggs, by-products of hens, have become an inexpensive and fine household necessity. The egg white has become a cosmetic for many women, who often apply it on their face to help eliminate wrinkles and freckles. In addition, the egg white is also a good material for making Huqin (a two-stringed bowed instrument) and drums, as it can stick firmly to the snakeskin. The rooster is also one the three animals used at sacrificial ceremonies.

A great many historical stories are closely related with roosters. The idiom Wen Ji Qi Wu (do the sword dance at rooster crow,) has something to do with Zu Ti, a famous general of the Jin Dynasty (265-420). One day, as Zu Ti was sleeping like a log, bursts of a rooster's crow entered his ears, waking him up quickly and completely. "Even the rooster knows the importance of rising early; how can we human beings waste the precious time!" he thought, and promptly got up in spite of the freezing coldness outside. In order to fight against the cold, Zu Ti set out to do swordplay. Thanks to his perseverance, Zu Ti was finally able to achieve great accomplishment.

The roosters are born with bright and colorful feathers, giving birth to the name "cocktail". A cocktail is made by slowly pouring different kinds of wines -- with various colors and proportions that will not mix together -- into a cup. The making of cocktail is rather difficult, usually involving painstaking efforts of professional blenders.

Editor: Catherine