Yulin Festival and Its Tradition

"We can judge the heart of a man, by his treatment of animals"

Immanuel Kant

So many people said, dog is a human best friend ever! We can easily teach them every things that we want to. Sometimes they also can be very spoiled with us. Same with the relationship with human, sometimes we need a very strong bond and good chemistry to be their best friend.

But sadly, recently, I've heard and seen so many news about what's going on in Yulin, China and their yearly tradition which held every June, has drawn international criticism of the event, where thousands of dogs and cats are killed and eaten.

The big problem here is those animals are killed in an inhumane way. Most of activists also admitted it. They also make an online campaign to ban the festival which has been signed by more than 3.8 million people so far.

The tradition of eating dog meat dates back four or five hundred years in China, South Korea and other countries, as it is believed to ward off the heat of the summer months.

About 10,000 dogs are likely to slaughtered during this year’s event, which got underway on Sunday and marks the summer solstice in the town in south-west China. Dog meat is considered a delicacy in some parts of China but there is increasing opposition to the practice as dogs have become popular pets among China’s growing middle class, particularly in affluent cities.

Stop Dog Meat

As in recent years, some animal lovers resorted to buying some of the dogs in order to rescue them.

Apparently concerned about the adverse publicity, Yulin’s local government has distanced itself from the festival, which has been running since 1995. Earlier this month, it announced that there was no official dog meat festival and that it was something that had spread among some traders and local people.

However, activists say the dogs are transported to Yulin from all over China and are often domestic animals that have been stolen. Photos circulating online showed hundreds of dogs squeezed into tiny cages and dead animals being butchered on the pavement.

A small number of Chinese animal activists have travelled to Yulin in an attempt to save dogs from ending up on plates. One particularly determined dog lover is reported to have bought 100 dogs from traders. Yang Xiaoyun travelled from Tianjin in northern China to Yulin and bought the dogs for 7,000 yuan (£711), according to local media reports.

(Source by: The Guardian)

There are always been pros and cons related to the Yulin Festival itself. Some people in Yulin argues that they grew up with dog meat during their life. It's normal for them to eat dog meats, even in Yulin Festival. But on the other hand, the issue of animal rights in China is debated by the activists and avocates, opposition to the festival has become increasingly vocal.

Over the last few weeks, million of messages condemning the culinary tradition have flooded Chinese social media. More than 40 activists from around the world traveled to Yulin last week to champion the cause, many for the second or third year in a row. Despite the rapid growth of the movement, however, animal rights advocates say they are encountering increasing difficulties communicating their message to the people who matter most: the residents of Yulin.

Dog meat is not widely consumed in China, but it is a long-established part of the diet, particularly in the far south and north. As many as 10 million dogs and four million cats are consumed in China each year, according to animal rights groups.

(Source: NY Times)

I feel really sad to knew and seen so many pictures and videos related to that news. I can't and never believe it, that we, as a human, can be so horrible and heartless to them.

#news