The practice of "Fang Sheng", or compassionate release, has been a Buddhist tradition in China for thousands of years, stemming from the teaching that it is possible to improve your karmic balance by doing good deeds to animals.
In the past few years, however, as more and more Chinese have sought solace in spirituality, it has become a major industry and many of Beijing's pet markets, with their cramped cages full of animals, depend on it for a large part of their business.
Each weekend, hundreds of groups now journey out from Beijing to release animals into the countryside.
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