The Yulin Festival has shed light on the terrible treatment, slaughter acts, and cooking regimes of dogs and cts. However, the act itself isn’t a recent phenomenon. Do Chinese people eat dogs?
People have been eating dog meat for centuries, but because of the festival, other people became aware of this issue.
Unfortunately, despite Yulin being a small city in China, it is the reason why many people suddenly became aware that some Chinese people eat dogs, and that is where the stigma begins.
Table of Contents
Do Chinese People Eat Dogs – Stereotypes
More than half of the Chinese people are against eating dogs or even slaughtering them.
So it is very unfair to throw out generalizations and create stereotypes, mainly since the act of eating dog meat occurs in other Asian and European countries as well.
If you don’t know anything about the dog eating festival, I will briefly talk about it before starting my interview with a Chinese person.
However, I highly recommend you read my last two posts that cover this topic. They’re short reads but are a pact with enough information for you to have a general overview of the dog eating festival.
Check out my What is The Chinese Dog Festival and Other FAQ and Can We Stop the Dog Meat Festival blog posts.
Do Chinese People Eat Dogs: Important things you should know about the dog eating festival.
I will summarise some of the most critical things before the interview starts. Here is what you should know about the dog eating festival.
- The Yulin festival started a decade ago, but the practice of eating dogs can be traced back to many centuries in China.
- Dog eating occurs in other Asian countries and even in some European countries.
- Dog meat was considered to be sacrificial offerings to the Gods.
- When Buddhism became popular, people started refraining from slaughtering dogs.
- The amount of dog meat that gets consumed annually is declining.
- The Yulin government stopped backing the Yulin Festival in 2014.
- The government can’t ban the festival because the act of eating dog meat is not illegal in China.
- Animals rights activism and charities have already made progress in this situation.
- People should focus on banning dog meat consumption and slaughter rather than banning the Yulin festival.
That’s all I am going to mention in this post. If you want to read about this in details, then read my other posts mentioned above.
Before I start the interview, I wanted to mention a conversation that I had with my Malaysian Chinese friend about if all animals were created equally.
Do Chinese people eat dogs -Thinking out loud
I was talking about how now I understood how vegans feel when they talk about how vile it is to slaughter an animal for food or clothes.
This made me think if not all animals are created equally, or if we’re just hypocrites. I mean, we’re putting some animals like cats and dogs on a pedestal, while putting others like cows and chicken under the knife.
This reminded me of a quote from Animal Farm by George Orwell. The quotes say:
“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”
My friend said that some animals were created for consumption, while others were created for companionship. I mostly agree with this.
Dogs and cats should never get slaughtered and eaten, but how can we illegalize something with such a blurry line?
Maybe the majority of the world can agree on banning dog and cat meat, but what about those who consume monkey meat for example?
If we work on banning the act of eating dog meat, then do we the right to get angry when vegans try to ban any sort of animal consumption?
I am not a vegan; I am just saying that I now understand and partially agree with what they believe.
Now that I have shared with you my conflicted state of mind, I am ready to start interviewing my Chinese guest.
Do Chinese People Eat Dogs- The Interview
Question one in the do Chinese people eat dogs interview
Q1: Eating dog meat isn’t a new phenomenon in China, but why was the Yulin festival created?
Answer one:
This is not a Chinese national festival. It is a festival formed by the people themselves.
More precisely, it is a festival that has been formed in recent years due to widespread attention. A large part of these kind of festivals are formed by the people themselves.
This is mainly because of the invigorating consumption, which
increases interest and profit. It is a propaganda.
Question two in the do Chinese people eat dogs interview
Q2: Do you believe that all animals were born equal? Should we eat some but not others?
Answer two:
Actually, equality and fairness are two different things. I believe that all animals are born equal. However, this doesn’t mean that humans’ attitudes and behaviors towards all animals are fair.
For example, all animals could potentially get treated equally. However, human beings are biased when it comes to what they eat, which makes the possibility of survival between animals unfair.
However, people are also in the food chain. I think that what we can choose what to eat and what not to eat; it’s a natural choice.
It’s just that Chinese people have more choices about food. They can cook more delicious food.
Question three: What are some reasons why people consume dog meat？
Answer three:
1) Chinese people categorize food into three kinds: fire or hot; neutral; and cold or cool. Eating dog meat belongs to the fire category. Northerners, especially in the three northeastern provinces, will eat dog meat in the winter.
Southerners usually eat dog meat in the summer and have the effect of fire attack. In general, the Chinese can regulate the balance of Yin and Yang through food.
2) I have eaten dog meat a few times when I was very young. I don’t know if it’s the same all over the country. But are dogs for eating?
The dogs that get eaten are not the pet type (Teddy, Labrador, etc.), nor are they large dogs (Tibetan mastiffs, Alaskan dogs, etc.).
The type of dogs that are eaten is Chinese rural dogs, also known as soil dogs. These dogs are more commonly found in rural areas. Perhaps that why the people who eat dogs are usually from the countryside.
3) People eat dog meat because there are a lot of dogs and they tend to have a lot of meat.
Trigger Warning!
Some people like the dog’s chewy skin and find their low-fat meat delicious.
4) Note that only a few people eat dog meat. In Yulin, the Lychee Dog Meat Festival dog meat festival is nothing but a business gimmick to attract more consumers and drive sales.
Also, many people like to eat dog meat at the sidewalk snack booth, especially those who like to drink alcohol with it to live up the “festival” experience.
5) This may also be influenced by the ancient Chinese diet. You can read more about that in the Book of Rites by Zhou Li (The Warring States Period to the Qin and Han Dynasties: 400 BC – around 20 AD).
6) In my city, eating dog meat is a way of celebrating the arrival of summer.
Question four in the do Chinese people eat dogs interview
Q4: Is dog meat still a cheap alternative to other forms of meat in China?
Answer four:
I don’t think this is a cheap alternative. Eating dog meat is not a habit that most Chinese people practice.
Consider it as a local custom. This custom is not found in all parts of China and is definitely not mainstream. Moreover, those who eat dog meat don’t eat it as frequently as they eat pork and chicken.
In the city where I live, they do it once a year and around the Lychee Meat Dog Festival. In addition, what I want to say is that people eat dog meat not because it’s delicious but because it is a practice that embodies traditional emotions.
Just like other types of meat, eating dogs is usually a habit, and there isn’t many reasons for it.
Finally, in the eyes of the Chinese, there is nothing that can’t be eaten. For example, some Chinese people eat bullfrogs, silkworm chrysalis, snakes, and even mice. These are all occasional acts and not eaten so frequently.
Question five in the do Chinese people eat dogs interview
Q5: Should eating dogs be considered as an ongoing tradition or a historical act that should stay in the past?
Answer five:
For me personally, I like dogs very much. I certainly hope that this custom can stay in the past. However, I can’t force someone else not to eat them because eating dog meat is not against the law.
My opinion on eating dog meat is quite neutral. I don’t support it, or oppose it.
Question six: What would you like to say to people who keep on saying “all Chinese people eat dogs”?
Answer six:
This is the first time that I’ve heard this phrase; this sentence is really exaggerated. At least, I don’t have the habit of eating dog meat. As I said, only a small percentage of people actually eat dog meat.
Question seven in the do Chinese people eat dogs interview
Q7: Do you believe it’s possible to ban eating dogs in China?
Answer seven:
I think it is unlikely. Why would it be only forbidden to eat dog meat, but not lamb, pork, or beef? They’re all animals, so why only ban eating dog meat?
I think there would be a huge controversy about whether or not you can eat dog meat because it is a habit. Most people from different countries do not practice such strange habits or customs.
So when they read about this festival, they’re going to be shocked and wonder ” How could the eat dog meat!”.
However, China isn’t the only country where some of its people eat meat. This happens in other countries as well. In any country, there is going to be some animals that people avoid eating.
The thing is, dogs are not considered to be national animals. If dogs become nationally protected animals, then dog eating might get banned.
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Question eight: More people are opposing the act of eating dogs these days; what are some activism movements that people can join or support?
Answer eight:
During the past few years un my city, many dog lovers animal and animal protection services have gone to the demonstrations to obstruct the event or even rescue a couple of dogs.
Sometimes, they post this behavior of eating dog meat on the internet and argue with dog meat consumers online. But I think this kind of action is counterproductive. Many people didn’t know that such a festival exists.
However, through this propaganda, more people are becoming aware of it this and some might even want to try eating dog meat.
Question nine: Animals Asia is making incredible changes, but what other animal rights movements exist and what did they achieve so far?
Answer nine:
Sorry, I don’t know about it.
The Final question in the in the do Chinese people eat dogs interview
Q10: Any last words and future hopes?
Answer ten:
My opinion on eating dog meat is neutral. Personally, I haven’t eaten dog meat since I was young. Moreover, I really like dogs, so I don’t want dogs to be treated differently because they come from different breeds.
However, I don’t have the right to ban others from eating dog meat. At least there is nothing wrong with eating dog meat as long as it’s legal. Yet, people’s controversies about the morality of eating dogs are also valid.
A huge thank you to my Chinese guest for answering my questions.
Do you feel like all animals were born to get treated equally? Do you feel like we should either eat all animals or not consume any whatsoever?
Share with me your believes and thoughts in the comments down below. Don’t forget to share this with your family and friends. The more people are aware of this situation, the bigger our impact is going to be.
