Dog meat festival opens in Guangxi but consumption in decline

Want China Times, Staff Reporter 2014-05-09

A woman holds a sign opposing eating dogs and cats in Yulin, Guangxi,
June 21, 2013. (Photo/CFP)

The Yulin Dog Meat Festival in Guangxi in southern China opened on May 5, triggering a renewed confrontation between the country's dog lovers and those who support the tradition of eating dog meat.

Eating dog meat is a custom not only in parts of China but also in Korea and Japan. Japan imported five tonnes of dog meat from China in 2008, though the meat was mainly served at restaurants owned by Chinese or Koreans.

Guangzhou's Time Weekly noted that dog meat is no longer consumed in Europe and the United States, and is declining in Japan and South Korea in tandem with the economic development of these countries and improved living standards, which have led more people to keep pets and view dogs as companions.

The trend is also being seen in China, where there has been a sharp drop in the number of people who consume dog meat among the country's middle class and younger generation.

Related Article:

Claims 100 stray dogs buried alive in China probed