What Is the Yulin Dog Festival? History & Controversy

You’ve probably heard of the Yulin Dog Festival, whether you’re a dog parent or not. This festival is held in China and is infamous as it is an event where dog meat is consumed. It has inspired activists in China and worldwide to protest it due to the harm that comes to so many canines during this time.

But why is this festival held in the first place? How did it start? Here’s what you should know about the Yulin Dog Festival.

The Origins of the Yulin Dog Festival

The Yulin Dog Meat Festival, or the Lychee and Dog Meat Festival, is held each year in Yulin in the Guangxi region of southern China. The first thing to know is that this isn’t actually a “festival.” The event started in 2009 or 2010 and was begun by dog meat traders hoping to boost business. There are no trappings you would usually associate with a festival—no music, no dancing, no celebration, no entertainment. This was started purely as a commercial venture, has no cultural origins, and is simply a week when dog meat is consumed more often than normal. People come from all around to eat at the dog food markets during this time.

The “festival” spans 10 days, starting on June 21.

The Controversy Surrounding the Yulin Dog Festival

While some of the controversy surrounding this “festival” has to do with the consumption of dog meat, a lot of it has to do with how the canines who are killed for this event are treated. Activists have reported that dogs are brought from as far as 1,500 miles away in trucks, where they are crammed into cages with other animals. Often, these dogs don’t receive enough (if any) food and water on the trip, so when they arrive in Yulin, they are often sickly, dehydrated, and sometimes have developed skin diseases. Plus, some people have reported seeing collars on some of these animals, which would indicate that they are stolen pets.

Then there’s the controversy around how the dogs are slaughtered. Killing a dog in any way seems inhumane to most of us, but activists have reported that dogs are killed in highly inhumane ways, from being beaten to death in public or being beaten with a metal pipe, then bleeding out from a cut to the throat. Often, dogs are killed in front of one another, which results in the rest of the canines becoming severely traumatized.

Finally, there is controversy about the health risks of consuming dog meat. According to the World Health Organization, the dog meat trade plays a role in the spread of diseases such as rabies and cholera.

How Many Canines Are Killed for the Yulin Dog Festival?

While we don’t know the exact numbers, it’s been reported that in the Yulin Dog Festival’s heyday, around 2014, as many as 10,000 to 15,000 canines were killed and their meat sold. Most of these canines were trafficked into Yulin; these dogs weren’t already there. However, in 2018, it was reported that 3,000 dogs were killed for the event.

The Promising News

There is some promising news, though.

For starters, dog meat consumption is not part of the culinary mainstream in China, and most people don’t eat dog meat. In fact, eating dog meat isn’t even widely practiced in Yulin, according to a 2017 study that found that around 75% of residents there had never consumed it. A poll across China found that 70% of people had never eaten dog meat. This doesn’t mean the dog meat trade isn’t pervasive, but fewer people eat dog meat than those who do not.

Plus, in 2020, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, a part of the national government, put out a statement saying:

“With the progress of human civilization and the public’s concern and preference for animal protection, dogs have changed from traditional domestic animals to companion animals. Dogs are generally not regarded as livestock and poultry around the world, and China should also not manage them as livestock and poultry.” Following this statement, the cities of Zhuhai and Shenzhen banned the consumption of dog meat.

With all of this and the pressure from activists both at home and abroad, one can be hopeful that the widespread banning of dog meat consumption will soon occur.

Final Thoughts

The Yulin Dog Festival is held yearly in Yulin, but it isn’t a festival at all. It is merely a time when more dog meat than usual is consumed. The festival was started by the dog meat industry in an effort to boost their sales, but the truth is that a majority of people in China don’t consume dog meat. Between the lack of people eating dog meat, the government putting out a statement that canines shouldn’t be considered livestock, and pressure from activists, the chances of eventually ending this festival and the dog meat trade entirely seem promising.

See Also:

• Dogs in Chinese Culture & History

Featured Image By: FannyF, Shutterstock