China’s Yulin Dog Meat Festival Faces Backlash Over Mass Slaughters

The Yulin Lychee and Dog Meat Festival has been held annually since 2009 in the city of Yulin, southern China. During the 10-day festival from June 21 to June 30, more than 10,000 dogs will be slaughtered, and shops will also sell cat meat, fresh lychees, and wine.

The festival was first held to mark the summer solstice. Eating dog meat is a tradition in China, believed to bring good luck and good health. Some people also believe that dog meat helps prevent disease and enhance male sexual performance.

According to animal rights activists, dogs and cats are brutally butchered with batons in public and hygiene standards at the festival are poor. There are also reports that dogs are transported from all over China to Yulin in cramped conditions, with some of the animals wearing collars, suggesting they are stolen pets.

Meat stall in China. Photo: Reuters

According to the Independent , between 10 and 20 million dogs are killed each year for food, and although the festival is new, the custom of eating dog meat dates back at least 400 years. Over the years, the Yulin Festival has been the focus of international criticism. The Yulin city government has repeatedly stated that it cannot stop the festival because it is not considered an official event.

However, a 2017 survey found that nearly 75% of Yulin residents do not regularly eat dog meat, despite the traders’ efforts to promote it. A 2016 nationwide survey found that 64% of Chinese wanted the Yulin festival to end, and 69.5% had never eaten dog meat.

Dr Peter Li, a China policy expert, said the Yulin festival was a “bloody spectacle” but did not reflect the character and eating habits of the Chinese people. In 2020, Mr Han Changfu, former Minister of Agriculture of China, also opposed dog meat consumption but no ban was issued.

Inside the Yulin dog meat festival. Photo: Reuters

By 2024, according to the Global Anti-Dog Meat Coalition, Yulin had made many positive changes, such as adding Chinese cultural propaganda activities before June 21 to avoid attracting attention to the festival. During the festival, new dog meat stalls were significantly reduced and some familiar stalls also disappeared.

However, the Yulin dog meat festival has not disappeared and animal protection organizations are still actively calling for opposition to this event. The International Organization for Animal Protection (OIPA), founded in 1981 in Switzerland, sent a letter to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; the Ministry of Ecology and Environment; and the National Health Commission of China in May to protest.

The global experience with Covid-19 is a sad example of the danger to all of humanity, so they hope that China can change this outdated tradition and adopt an innovative, animal-friendly approach.

Source: vnexpress.net