FU Cun has a two-storey apartment of about 200 square metres. But he still finds it too cramped, because he always need more space for his favourite crickets.

"I have hundreds of cricket jars, I keep them in my bedroom and living room. I enjoy their singing so much on summer days," said 28-year-old Fu.

Actually, Fu is not the only person addicted to raising these fascinating insects, which can both sing and fight. It is estimated by a national cricket website that there are about 10 million people raising crickets during the period from July to November each year, when the crickets reach maturity.

Long history

Raising crickets is a traditional Chinese hobby. According to historical records from the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the imperial concubines used small gold cages to accommodate crickets and took them to bed to hear their singing during the night. Ordinary people copied what they saw as a graceful hobby.

Such activity was still flourishing during the Qing Dynasty (1616-1911), when the Emperor's family, city residents or village men and scholars, all collected crickets feverishly every summer.

No one knows why this small insect has been such a big success with Chinese people. But poems, essays and even learned research about the creature have been passed down from antiquity.

A big body, big jaws and a black face are the standard of excellence for a cricket. But to find a good one is not easy.

Fu Cun, who has 20 years experience of cricket fighting, said when he went out to catch crickets he often waited in the field a whole day for the right one. "If I can find one good specimen in a day, it can be seen as very lucky," he said. "With environmental deterioration, finding good ones is even harder these days."

The way a cricket is raised is also crucial. "I feed my crickets a special food combining corn flour, wheat flour and apple pieces," said Huang Huoyong, a stall keeper at the Xizang Nanlu Flower and Bird Market. For especially excellent crickets, calcium tablets or ginseng might be added to strengthen their bodies and hone their fighting abilities.

Bed mate

Huang said in the current cycle of cricket fighting, it is quite common to hear such stories: for some men, the adored creature who shares their bed each night is their champion cricket rather than their wife.

Although some simply enjoy the insects' beautiful singing, for most cricket fans, fighting is the supreme goal. This also helps to explain how the activity has lasted so many years.

"Cricket fighting is really exciting!" said Zhou Jisheng, a stall keeper opposite Huang. Before putting the two insects in one box, they should be weighed just like boxers. People then use yard grass stalks to stimulate the insects to fight.

Generally speaking, the competition will be finished after a few minutes. But in the case of some resolute and powerful crickets, the contest might last half an hour or even 45 minutes.

"The two insects will bite each other with their powerful jaws. Sometimes, all of their legs are bitten off, yet they still jump and bite until death," Zhou said. "They are real warriors."

Big business

With such large numbers of cricket fans, even a small cricket born in the village can become expensive.

Fu saw with his own eye how the price of one cricket rose from 180 yuan (US$22) to 8,000 yuan (US$967) in about 40 minutes - and it was not even the best one.

In the market on Xizang Nanlu, several traders boast of selling crickets for 10,000 yuan (US$1,200) or more.

"I never sell cheap ones," said Zhou, glancing contemptuously at lines of people sitting on the ground selling 5-yuan crickets. "My crickets all cost at least 200 yuan (US$24). The cheap ones simply can't be compared with mine at all!"

"Selling crickets is a good business, it is easy to earn thousands of yuan every month," Huang said. "It is really a free and enjoyable job selling crickets, much better than being employed by someone else."

Gambling dens

"As for the people who buy expensive crickets, I suspect most of them are for gambling use," Huang said. "How could an ordinary person afford to spend thousands of yuan for an insect?" There are a number of people who live entirely off the income from cricket gambling, according to Huang.

Huang said he used to visit some cricket gambling dens with a friend. He was shocked to witness the scenes of utter chaos. "I even saw knives thrown over my head. People were fighting alongside the crickets," he said. "It is understandable because some gamblers had staked everything they owned on the outcome of a cricket fight. If such desperate gamblers suspected foul play, how could they remain calm?"

Stakes can vary from thousands of yuan to tens of thousands, all in cash.

Yet what Huang witnessed was still small scale compared to "real gamblers". One insider, who asked to remain anonymous, said he attended some "luxury games". These games were arranged in places in outlying provinces, with the venue changing each time.

"Outsiders are never allowed to see such games, only insiders who have become friends are permitted," he said.

He would always take two bodyguards with him. "I needed them to protect my bag full of money," he said.

Such "luxury games" were only held in the "snowing season". Only those crickets who survived the cold had proven themselves tough enough to compete.

People put these "treasured" insects in quality foam boxes with ice-filled insulation, because crickets like a cold environment. The bottom of the boxes were cushioned with springs to prevent sudden jolts harming the crickets.

"Of course, such crickets, worthy of bets which might exceed 1 million yuan, were treated far better than most human beings!" he said.

He said he had seen some gamblers wager up to 1.7 million yuan on the performance of such magnificent fighters.

Breadwinners

But it is not only the criminal underworld that treasures these insects. In Ningyang County of Shandong Province, the most renowned source of top specimens, the cricket business is the main income of local people who are still poor.

Crickets have become a pillar industry in some places. "Want riches? Look for the cricket king", goes a saying of the local people.

Farmers from eight to 80 are all busy collecting crickets in the field. In Sidian, of the same county, 80 per cent of farmers worked in the cricket business, supporting over 3,000 hotels, and 2,000 village people working in the specialized occupation of cricket transportation.

After this busy season, a family may have earned over 10,000 yuan (US$1,210), which provides their main income for the year.

It is estimated about 500,000 people travel there for crickets every year. "The fields are filled with businessmen or cricket fans from Beijing and Shanghai," Zhou said.

"When I went to Shandong this year, I heard the local leader implore over the PA system 'treat Shanghai people better, let them eat better and live better'. You know, every year, Shanghai people bring 300 million yuan (US$36 million) to this province through their devotion to crickets."