BEIJING — China excels at training people … and birds: A wutong bird catches beads in its beak, training for a Beijing tradition that dates back to the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911), outside a stadium in Beijing, Tuesday, March 26, 2024. The ancient practice involves training birds to catch beads in mid-air shot out of a tube. Today, only about 50-60 people in Beijing are believed to still practice it. Photo: Ng Han Guan/AP