Editor's Note: The following text is from GlobalPost, which provides excellent coverage of world news – important, moving and just odd.
China has banned a dog-eating festival that dates back more than 600 years after a Chinese internet uproar over the way dogs are slaughtered, the official Xinhua news agency reports.
Dogs are chopped up and skinned in the streets of Qianxi township in coastal Zhejiang province during the ancient festival, which is usually held in October, state-run Xinhua says.
The festival marks a local military victory during the Ming dynasty, in which dogs in Qianxi were killed so they would not bark and alert the enemy.
After the victory, dog meat was served at a celebratory feast, and since then local people have eaten dog meat at temple fairs held during traditional Chinese holidays.
"The ancient fair was replaced by a modern commodity fair in the 1980s, but dog eating has been kept as a tradition," Xinhua says.
"However, vendors began to butcher dogs in public a few years ago to show their dog meat is fresh and safe, as a way to ease buyers' worry that the meat may be refrigerator-preserved or even contaminated."
Thousands of Chinese internet users criticized the dog-eating festival on social networking sites, and called for the local Qianxi government to intervene.
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Well done!
I am one of those elderly Chinese who escaped starvation and have abundance choices of food. I always have dog as my best friend since I was a kid. As I understand, today majority of Asian who still eat dog are mostly older generation who never had the luxury to encounter dog as a friend. I am very sure, once human (disregard color or race) experience the faithfulness and loyalty of dog, we will refuse the thought of harming them let alone eat them.
Five Dogs Incredible Stories of Loyalty and Valor
http://www.petsdo.com/blog/five-dogs-incredible-stories-loyalty-and-valor
Thank you for your email. You are right and given time, options will shift,
I only wish they were all like you.
I take my hat off to you,and I am glad you have experienced the love of these animals,but Just answer me this,"why are these beautiful creatures skinned ALIVE" ! ...............PURE TORTURE.............PURE EVIL.........
china should not bend to the cultural biases of the west...shame on china...let them eat dogs
It is suprising to learn that all that is heard about China's spirituality is nothing buut sham. First it was canibalism now it is dog. Displaying such acts of babarism with brazenness calls china's civilisation to question. Or is it that they don't have enough to eat in China?
i understand that it is a cultural tradition however these dogs are killed in the most inhumain way possible along with many other animals raised for there meat. i ask you to watch a video of them being killed and say that you agree with this thing.im not saying that our inhumane traditions, like the dolphin kill that happens every year in canada, are any better because there not but there are many people disagreeing with them as well. pleas look into this matter further before you say that it is a morally deprived culture.
thankyou
doglover
What is this Canadian dolphin killing tradition?? Ive never heard of it and Ive lived on the west coast of Van my whole life
how dare you dog face up at the TOP. what do you mean let them eat dogs? cause i've always thought dogs were mans best friend. if you loved how cute and innocent dogs are and look, then how could you say let them eat dogs?
see, i'm a dog lover and i understand that they eat dogs as a traditional thing but how could they eat something that is easy to make friends with? dogs are gonna be scared of everyone if they keep on eating them. the people and children that like dogs aren't gonna see any dogs because of all the eating them
No one's adulating the western gorging of caviar and foie gras and all, but that doesn't mean we simply support Chinese people chopping up dogs for meat when dogs have been the closest to humans for centuries. Its time the chinese stopped eating anything that breathes.
How about a "dogburger" for lunch?
"HOW ABOUT AN I.Q TEST ".......MORON!
Medium Rare
Medium with ketchup!
I like my cow Medium Rare.
Too bad those barbarians are not treated the same way. How absolutely disgusting. China is a very disturbed society.
Well, I prefer pigs. Am I any less disturbed?
YOU ARE MISSING THE POINT!.............DO YOU THINK IT RIGHT, TO TORTURE THEM FIRST.....SKINNING THEM ALIVE!................IF YOU ARE GOING TO SAY SOMETHING..........GET YOUR"BRAIN" INTO GEAR FIRST!
you eat pork ,beef, and chicken right? so what is the different – still MEAT right?
Actually no it's not the same thing .... it's not the same thing AT ALL ... You do not eat Domesticated Animals PERIOD ... This is so disgusting it seems unreal .... and don't bother with the pigs can be domesticated crap ... It has been proven over and over its not the same ... and I don't eat pork any ways .... so you want to be a super power China ... ya Good Luck !!
dog is intelligent. animal they have dogs trained for the blind..for the deaf , drug abuse...ect cant see a chicken .pig . cow doing that can you . anyway i dont eat anything with a face !!!!!!!!
Hallelujah and Amen to you....They are sick people....They should eat each other! Animals feel pain and bleed just like we do .. too bad they can't defend themselves against those sick people!
You are so right !!!! This is SICK !!!
I honestly feel like I could easily think this way as well as I am a huge animal loving-growing up on a farm and my father being a vet and all but I don't think its an excuse to be racist..any race could have done this and many other have plus much worse..its a matter of old thinking and tradition. You know, stuck in the past when people didn't really regard animals as having feelings or emotions
Shove it Scarlet. No one wants to hear your pro western ideology and subjectivity. If you were starving, you would eat anything.
well a big point there if youre starving you would eat nythin available even your neighbors...they called it cannibalism well you can call that same ...survival mannerism...in WW2 russians eat their own during german seige of leningrad and t petersburg..american today eat their own...and they got billions of dollars as free loans from the us govt jst for making life miserable for the common flolks..i mean those big financial insti and car manufacturers in detroit eat millions of americans to death...
Eat the rich!
they R not starving it a festival ..a celebration .. go and eat rats i say
It doesn't have to include torture!!! also u don't have to be so nasty in your response. Good day.
Maybe a few didn't kill the dogs in a humane way.
That is no reflection of other Chinese.
do us a favor and eat yourself
ditto!
Not many in Zhejiang are starving these days, chump, especially the ones celebrating with dog meat. You're defensive because you feel shame. And you have countless reasons to feel that shame. "Pro-Western ideology & subjectivity" is a euphemistic phrase nationalistic Mainlanders use to justify China's lack of morality, cheating, stealing, etc.
@ Cerberus, dude you really need to get a clue. This has nothing to do with being hungry, it is a cultural habit (all be it completely outside my ability to accept), so don't try to change the topic to something completely unrelated. FYI, I have lived here 10 years, so this is coming from a 1st hand source.....if you try to claim you are as well, your just a huge liar!!
Glad to to see that the netizens in China are finally starting to get some change...unfortunately I don't really believe that CNN has the story 100% correct, because they will likely still eat dog that day. They are just going to do it out of the public eye.
Disgusting, selfish, lowest of all, evil spirited people who do these barbaric, evil acts of torture to the helpless and kind hearted creatures. SHAME ON YOU ! ! ! ! ! And you call it chinese culture? ?? Digusting ! ! ! How would you like being chopped up alive, you disturbed people? Giving every excuse in the book to justify your cruel selfish acts.
I for one would never eat a dog or cat if i had a choice ,but put ur self in the Chines place ,if you or you're children were starving you would eat what ever you could find ! i know you think you are above that ,but no one is ,i don't care if you were the president of the United Sates ,you would not starve to death if there was anything you could find to eat ,nor would you let ur children starve ,think long and hard before you judge someone who is or has been starving ,
Exactly .... STARVING ... not for a festival .... when someones starving and its needed ABSOLUTELY ... some traditions need to die with the OLD !!!!!!!!!!!
Its true, most people if they were starving would eat anything BUT they are not starving..this whole thing was purely tradition and a celebration of something that had happened a long long long long time ago..so both of you guys are kinda join to the extremes as sick as it makes me too..
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Yes very much so, I like my cow pee double double.
I heard dogs eat Chinese in some places
I heard Chinese love white meat.
I am vegetarian but have no problem with people eating dead animals. What is laughable is that often those who would not hesitiate to join in munching a slaughtered little lamb taken from its mother, would cringe when a dog is on the menu. What on eart's the difference?
The difference, moron, is in how the animal is slaughtered. Could you not manage to read the entire article?
@Andre
Because they slaughter the dogs inhumanly, wheres domesticated farms animals live somewhat humane lives.
Good. Dog-eating and shark-eating must be banned globally.
Jesus, please come back quickly and save the creation world from the barbaric cruel vicious mankind.
And Jesus, when you come back, please take your followers with you.
he will take us with him thank you...
Amen!
I pray for these poor animals who live and die in fear and in pain! I hope for an Animal Revolution one day!
a "Animal Revolution"? um like take over the world?, or am I just not readind into this right?
You must be an animal spy. I smell a rat.
Do Jesus love Chinese or Indian?
Hindu's have their sacred cows. Americans have their sacred dogs & horses. The hypocritical criticism of China on this issue is laughable....unless those who do so are willing to become vegetarian. I don't see Americans giving up their cow meat any time soon.
Americans don't skin their cows alive or slaughter them on the street. Are you really too stupid to see the difference? Besides, it was the CHINESE that asked for the ban. Next time, read the entire article to the end.
actually, due to factory-farming and mass-produced meat products, cows are sometimes skinned alive in American slaughterhouses. Not to mention the horrible lives these farmed animals often endure in cramped cages, in trucks on long journeys, and with handlers that mistreat them in other ways. (and, yes, I'm a vegetarian and often eat vegan)
again..the issue is how the animal is inhumanly slaughtered or "sacrificed". Cows and pigs are not killed the same way at all..there are regulations on that. Although there are always the handful of places that get under the radar..but even then it is absolutely no comparison between meat production in america and a dog slaughtering chinese tradition. Its pretty ignorant to say rash things when you've got no information behind it except for you own thoughts completely
I know it is a cultural bias, but this makes me sick. I love dogs and this seems so wrong.
Seriously, I can't believe that i am reading that farm animals in the states are mostly treated nicely and killed humanly. No they are not. And really, is it not better to slaughter the dogs in the street, where you see what goes on to get your food, than have it hidden and not thought about?
interesting perspective. I agree with you. It's a shame that most people from other nations can't see what goes on in slaughterhouses – maybe then more people would discover the many benefits of going vegetarian or vegan.
Marvin September 26, 2009 love is more cemlpox that the anatomy and physiology of the brain and its neurotransmitters. congrats! =)
exacty!
Bravo China! Way to step up to the bat as a modernized world leader and do something for those citizens of Earth who can't speak for themselves!
Show me more of these progressive changes and maybe I'll be convinced that the world's oldest society is ready to be a global leader.
a big fart for your your comment.
Don't be so naive, Noah. One small gesture for dogs doesn't mean the mountain of injustices and cruelties in China have been leveled. It's amazing how what tunnel vision animal lovers can have. Move here and tell me if you think China is a great world leader.
They would eat and pay a big price for my toenails if I had more than one person claim they were an afrodisiac.
a poem about chinese customs: h t t p://littledebbieoatmealcookie.wordpress.com/tables/
sorry ... you have to remove the spaces in the url address ... thanks.
sad to see such an old tradition die , because of tree huggers and the west who stuff their faces with burgers, perhaps the west should yield from eating beef since the cow is sacred to India ,which find it offensive.
Absolutely. Dogs are "friendlier" than cows, but, other than that, what's the difference between raising the two on farms for meat? Many cultures have used dogs as food throughout history, particularly in times of scarcity. Similarly, the horse lovers made it illegal to sell horse meat in the US, even though horse has been a human food source since time immemorial and is still used in many contemporary European cuisines.
Dogs and horses raised in captivity are way better to eat than endangered whales poached from the wild.
I disagree. Cows are very friendly and crave human company. If my two cows are any indication, they would have come into the living room for tv, if I let them. The only difference between cows and dogs is that one can easily be incorporated into an indoor living situation, while the other remains outside or in the barn, due to size. Otherwise, cows are highly intelligent, extremely loving and can recognise my car as it comes down the dirt road to my house, no matter how far away they are. They will immediately stop grazing and make their way to the gate. It's not until someone lives with all types of animals, that one realises...ALL ANIMALS WANT, NEED, CRAVE human company and friendship.
that comparison makes no sense..and neither does the ancient tradition of eating dogs..we don't have anything of the sort in america where we take a cow and give it a nice slow death in front of the public which includes foreigner, travellers, and children!
thats meant for adrian who think that tree huggers and animal lovers are the same thing..
SAD TO SEE AN OLD TRADITION DIE!...........................SAD TO SEE ANIMALS TORTURED !WOULD BE THE CORRECT PHRASE"
Well, am a nigerian.. and by God i've never thought it as news as to where and how animals are killed. They kill animals everyday for food. In my little community here, the abbattoir slaughters more than ... uncountable. infact, every restaurant slaughters more than2 goats and 1 cow everyday.. i mean small restaurants.... .. it's normal.. or... looks normal. i dont know, guess i see it differently
Correct. It is normal. What is abnormal are people who want to impose their elitist views onto others.
It´s not about eating dogs, it´s about how the dogs are treaten! Dogs are chopped and skinned alive, is that ok? Legs broken on the dogs to make them easier to transport? China is also leading producer of crush videos... They seem to really enjoy torturing animals! Not to mention Tibet...
The Chinese people seem to eat everything except the table
DOG ZOMBIES!!!
There is a saying in Chinese, it roughly translate as" Chinese eat anything that fly, except airplane. Also anything that that have legs except table". Look it up, I heard this from Chinese themselves. I am a carnivore, I love my meat,rare, medium, well done...ect. Evolution proven, I love Charles Darwin. I don't wear fur, even synthetic ones, it is tacky. Y would u want to look like a rat, or a bear? Animals didn't kill others animals for clothes, only human does that. We killed for thrill, sport and recreational.
people can be so disgusting and selfish....other creatures MATTER. they'll pay in the end for their greedy little
habits... how bout some LOVE AND COMPASSION for ALL creatures. I'm ashamed for them for what they've done.
Those people DON'T DESERVE THE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE DOGS GIVE...........THEY ARE NOT WORTHY OF IT. THEY HAVE MUCH TO LEARN FROM THESE LOVING DOGS............
I heard the Chinese eat anything that moves..... squirrels, rats, birds, snakes, cats. Watch out tourists! lol
Yes the Chinese, Koreans and (Vietnamese?) will eat anything with a pulse !!!! and they believe the more a dog suffers before death the better it will be for their health and taste (apparently its the adrenalin rush from torture) makes the meat better. and also its easier to get the dogs skin off when its alive. They live in horrendous conditions and I guess everyone has seen how they are transported. SOME DOGS STILL HAVE COLLARS ON SO THEY WERE OBVIOUSLY AT SOME TIME SOME ONES PET. They also boil cats alive in big pressure cookers and they break their legs so they cant jump out of the pot. Then there are the bears but that is another subject........
The Books of Gensis and The Heights. They are forbiden. No harm of any kind would come to the Dog or the Masquito. They are the volunteers of Love of such of all God's creation to protect man from Satan.
Now, We know that China is NOT HUMAN! Those of the anicent world know how sacred the Dog and the Masquito (yes I did spell masquito right) Dum Assess.
Perhaps India will take a cue from this and stop the cow urine drinking festival...a medieval concept. That is why China a is a world power...it is on the cutting edge and light years ahead of India.
dogs are man's best, i love my best friend and i eat him once in a while.
if pigs, chickens, lambs, cows, were slaughtered in the "streets" where we all could see how "humanely" it's done, than maybe we could all have an well informed dialogue, but until then, we should all pay a visit to the slaughter house and see for ourselves what the truth is. because i have a feeling that it's a disgusting process, and not very humanely...
THANK-YOU. You have such a good point. People refuse to see China's side.
It is interesting to note those who criticise the values of the compassionate, assume we are hypocritical enough to eat meat while feeling sorry for cats and dogs.I myself am vegan so thankfully there is no dilema or compartmentalising my compassion into neat segments of companion animals or agricultural ones. By the way,for those labouring under the misconception that American abattoirs are more humane than the practice of skinning an animal alive, need to actually visit one. The only difference between Western country abattoirs and what happens on the streets of China, is that in one country the abuse occurs in full view while in another, it is behind closed doors. For this reason the meat & livestock industries invest millions each year to promote the notion of "humane"slaughter, enabling morons to continue living in the belief that their country is so much kinder to animals, while vilifing Eastern countries' practices. For a PG rated taste of what actually happens in a slaughterhouse, please treat yourselves to the youtube doco "If Slaughterhouses had Glass Walls".Wake up and taste the faeces in your sausages!
netoodsmosticated September 19, 2011 You seriously should ... it's so easy!! And I think they're pretty cheap ... mabye $20-25?
Cheer to dog lover, cheer to US mercy killings:
Hiroshima, Agent Orange, carpet bombing, slavery, full combat fighting...........................................
who really cares america kills dogs in every state
now i see why republicans think democrats are idiots
People, why is eating dogs so wrong? I'm American, and have grown up with dogs all my life. I LOVE dogs!!! But most Americans think eating pigs, cows, chickens, etc are okay. But we still critizise the Chinese for eating dogs! It's the SAME thing!! What if the Chinese started complaining about America eating pigs? Or cows or chickens? We have to see China's side. It's part of their culture.
Very good points made on this article. I'm glad to see people understand that different cultures view the eating and the slaughtering of animals according to their respective cultures and traditions. As a Chinese-American, I don't eat dog meat because I love dogs too much but can understand if the Chinese eat dog meat or if Americans eat pork and beef. However, these are all animals that quite large sized cultures will not eat or feel are dirty. For example, in the Muslim and Jewish world, pigs are considered dirty and are not eaten. In Hindu cultures, the cow is sacred and cannot be killed, let alone eaten. Some cultures/beliefs prohibit eating of any meat.
So who's right?
As for the argument that it's how animals are killed that make the difference, while I agree that animals should be killed in the least painful way possible, we are still killing them for food or other purposes. There is merit in open slaughtering of animals in front of the consumer as it can help reassure that the animal wasn't already a dead rotting carcass or killed in unsanitary conditions. Those who think that the US is any better at slaugtherhouses, should get more educated. Too many people have died from bacteria, samonella, e. coli, that's caused by poor conditions and lax regulation. We are also too far removed from how our food get to our table to truly appreciate the animals. A Filet-O-Fish looks (and tastes) nothing like fish!
Chinese are the most evil group of people on earth. Do people know that Chinese people even eat human? In fact, they eat unborn babies – mostly babies girl. Do your research "Chinese eat babies".
um. I only heard what the U.S. military abuse of prisoners . Holy God bless the United States
What are you on?
Maybe his neighbour?
Remember that American woman who microwaved her own child? Aw, Americans, what can you expect?
why?
Aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. unhuman !!!!!!!!!!
Chinese began to eat dog meat more than at least 2500 years ago. A famous book in that time stated that dog meat was one of six types of meat which was allow to eat. In fact, noble eat sheep and all common people eat dog meat as their daily meal. In Chinese culture, dog was an evil animal. They can guard a house, but no people treated them as pet and friend until western culture came in. It is a long time culture and it is longer than most western country's history. I wonder why people even blame it. I even heard that some Chinese consider turkey is somewhat holy and any one who eat turkey is devil.
For my opinion, as a source of meat, dog meat has no difference with pork, beef and chicken. The ones they eat are specially fed and have a lot of meat, and they never eat pet dogs. If I have a small pet pig, should I blame you for eating pork?
yep I agree with you
Jedi take a look at the Dog in the picture The ones they eat are specially fed and have a lot of meat, and they never eat pet dogs. If I have a small pet pig, should I blame you for eating pork? I dont think so
Pigs are much smarter than dogs. But taste soooo good.
hi-look Chinese people-if you people intend to progress "humanely" as well-try to abandon "dog and cat" eating and also stop serving "alive sea creatures half cut up"-I can understand in the past-food was scarce but today-it shouldnt be a issue ! I dont eat anything except fish and chicken,considered "lowest form of intelligent creatures".
i know I know,I will get some comments regarding "eating poor old chicken" but..I would assume majority of meat eaters are chicken eaters! I dont understand why Chinese government can't ban outright totally consumption of dogs and cats in their country! For godshake,look into the eyes of that poor cat and dog !
I see.
hi-look American people. I am a Chinese vegertarian – if you people intend to progress "Humanely" as well- tr to abandon meat eating and also stop farm raising fish and chicken in such a brutal way. For godsake, have you ever been to a chicken farm? Not those in downtown LA, though.
Time for India to stop the cow ur**ne drinking festival as well. Can't let China steal the thunder....no??
MOST DESTURBED RACE ON THE PLANET AFTER THE REPTILIANS LIVING AMONGST US ,
I've been living in China for 3 years and can easily say that eating dogs is the least of their problems. The Chinese behave like barbarians. Any hint of civilization they may display has been copied from the West.
So why you said You love Chinese?
Before i begin i would like to say that i am not american i am European!!! I have never being to China, however I would love to go. It is understandable that it is their culture and their tradition, however we most all evolve and grow spiritualy and moraly. I see a lot of comments how when your starving you would eat anything, well maybe!! The fact of the matter is that a dog would be the last thing in my mind. After all every single other civilization lived and survived without eating dog and we all went thru starvation. Therefore, i dont see how China couldn't do the same. Furthermore, the text says "The festival marks a local military victory during the Ming dynasty, in which dogs in Qianxi were killed so they would not bark and alert the enemy. " as I interpet this nowhere it says they were eaten due to starvation. In addition, I believe it was the moraly corrupt that started eaten dog in that province and blamed it to the war. Moreover, people say that it is a 2500 year tradition and that it is justifiable because of that! OK! Well in Europe dogs were used in war and we never ate them. In addtion, in my country we had a very old tradtion of Bullfighting, which was deemed cruel and unhumane. Immediatelly after we STOPPED, our oldest tradtion. To conclude, I believe that Chinese could rise up to the ocasion and get a litte bit of humanity in them and stop that cruelty towards our best friend. We have lived and been with dogs and their ancestor for about 200,000 years.
This does not surprise me at all. In the name of culture all sorts of barbaric behaviour is condoned in China. Here in South Africa Chinese backed poachers are daily killing critically endangered rhinos in our game reserves,just so that they can supposedly have a better erection . Other Chinese have almost wiped out our coastal abalone shellfish, they are starting to poach our lion population because some big deal figure in China supposedly had a miraculous cure from some ailment after consuming some part of a lion. In neighbouring Mozambique they are have the local population killing sharks by the thousands for their fins, which are used for soup. This wholesale barbaric slaughter is evidently their culture!
I agree with you , they are a very morally deprived culture! I just think it is amazing how nobody or any association ever stops them. It is about time some one stops them!!!
I'm glad they called it off!!
I always think I am stupid
.But today I think I am bright because of you.
亲~~Because after I read the article I know what you will say
So if a country had a tradition of consuming humans, it would be o.k.? Yes most here sound like morons. You never eat PETS...
Forgot to also mention their other so called aphrodisiac the rhino horn........they keep eating the stuff even though it has been proved to have about as much use as eating toenails eg none. And rhinos now are becoming extinct because of them. How can they kill our beautiful animals in such barbaric ways.
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if you no longer eat beef, we might stop kill dogs
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I've seen enough dogs in cages in shelters and going hungry on the streets; some people treat them like any other animals- meals.
I think it's more sympathetic to end an animal's suffering as a meal than let it live miserably until it's a rotting corpse on the side of a road.
I am a dog-owner and thinking of my Susie as a hamburger is revolting to me. But I'm sure if I got to know a pig a little better, I wouldn't enjoy porkchops as much.
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I hate chinese people all my life for million reasons! I hate china.