TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Tainan City Deputy Mayor Yeh Tse-shan (葉澤山) presided over the opening of the pigeon whistle racing season, a century-old tradition in which 100 pigeons were released into the air with wooden whistles strapped to their backs, UDN reported.

The competition typically involves pigeons flying to a neighboring village and returning home—a distance of about one kilometer. The village that retrieves the largest number of whistles within four hours is declared the winner, with extra points awarded based on the weight of each whistle. Villagers are also allowed to catch or trap pigeons to prevent them from returning home.

The victorious village is rewarded with an outdoor banquet paid for by the losing side. Pigeons used in the race are typically three to four times larger than standard racing pigeons. They begin training about one month after birth and generally compete for three to five years.

Yeh said pigeon whistle racing harks back to a time when most locals worked in agriculture, fisheries, or animal husbandry. The tradition began in Syuejia District and later spread to Sinying and Yanshuei.

However, with the decline of traditional industries and population outflow, interest in the sport also waned. In 2014, the Tainan City Government intervened to preserve the tradition, recognizing it as an important part of the region’s intangible cultural heritage.

Tainan now has only one remaining pigeon whistle craftsman, Hsieh Jung-che (謝榮哲), who carves each whistle by hand. They typically measure 23–28 centimeters in width.

Pigeon keeper Yang Da-chang (楊大昌) said the number of participating farmers has steadily declined, and many pigeons are lost during training—often snatched by stray dogs or cats—leading to a sharp reduction in pigeon numbers.

To preserve the tradition, the Tainan City Cultural Affairs Bureau has coordinated competition schedules across the three districts and launched a campus education program to introduce students to this unique cultural practice.

The races typically coincide with the Tomb Sweeping Festival and will continue through June this year.