When looking at the map of China, its shape appears uncannily similar to that of a rooster. Its head is in the North-Eastern provinces, its magnificent tail includes Xinjiang and Tibet and its wings spread over the resource-rich basins of the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers. The belly of this cockerel is in the southeast, and Hainan and Taiwan islands are its feet. The tour guide on the Yangtze river cruise who pointed out this similarity to me explained: "This shows that Taiwan is definitely an inalienable part of China; a rooster doesn't like to stand on one foot for too long."

In 1949 Mao Zedong, poet and founder of New China, wrote a verse that included the stanza: "The rooster sings, the bright sky turns. " The rooster is known to be a fierce fighter; this line celebrates its proclamation to the nation of victory over darkness at the start of each day.

In this sense the battling rooster is symbolic, but China also has a history of competitive cock fighting that dates back 4,000 years. It is, therefore, deeply rooted in its culture. Goading roosters into fighting is an easy matter, as it is their instinct to ward off any rivals for their hen harem.

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