This is a feature whose background is largely lost to me 27 years on.

But Beijing’s bird market was an amazing place – I wonder if it’s still in largely the same shape as it was then.

Click on the link below to be taken to the Today Programme feature.

Note that the recording is NOT as broadcast, but complete with personal intro and explanation to the producers in London doing the mixing. We didn’t have audio software in those days to do the mixing ourselves in the field.

You’ll need to listen for a fair old while to the birds singing at the beginning before we get to any text.