Isn't that the frame they are suspended from whilst alive and then beaten to death because that allegedly makes the meat taste better?

(I belatedly have you on my blogroll now, by the way)

Could be, could be. Nice theory, but we shall never know for sure. Let speculation be rife!

Thanks for the blogrollarama. Will endeavour to reciprocate, when I get my head into html mode.

Presumably that won't be the front cover for your corporate job for the JV?

Superb photos and blog as usual.

Juxtaposition time!

So often the 'eating dog' issue gets hijacked by the anti-China crowd. China-haters use it as a stick to beat the Chinese people with.

Isn't that the frame they are suspended from whilst alive and then beaten to death because that allegedly makes the meat taste better?

I'm not sure if I'd say most Chinese are "thoroughly embarrassed" or that it is an "arcane culinary tradition." In my experience, its simply accepted that dog meat can be eaten and is eaten for certain reasons ("winter warmer"), with the vast majority of people rarely eating dog meat. They're simply willing to accept the concepts of dogs being lovable domestic pets AND sources of meat not being mutually exclusive. Naturally, you're not going to get many people who love their pet suddenly eying it hungrily the next minute. It's just two separate things to them.

Likewise, I don't think eating dog meat is really a "tradition", at least not in the sense that there are, like, special dog-meat-eating holidays or whatever. It's just another dish, another meat that's sometimes available (and it isn't that widespread, either, even in the south). Dogmeat will always be a far rarer option compared to chicken, pigs, and cows, but yeah, it can be an option.

The mistake some China-bashers make is trying to paint the Chinese as somehow gleefully devouring their own pets in malicious gluttony. We can make arguments about how humane the processing and slaughtering is for animals destined to be food, but there's too much unnecessary, unfair, and misleading emotional imagery thrown in, often more to smear the target than to prove any point.

Furthermore, I would say the "sharp nationalist overtones" is more about foreigner vs. Chinese discussions than discussions about eating dog/cat meat. When it comes to animal rights discussions amongst the Chinese, they're not dissimilar to what foreigners would bring up, with the divide between the pet lovers and those pointing out the inherent hypocrisy of meat-eaters.

Thanks, Kai, for your views on the issue.

Not wishing to nit-pick or anything, in your reply to my post you said: "I'm not sure if I'd say most Chinese are "thoroughly embarrassed" or that it is an "arcane culinary tradition." "

For the record I never said "most Chinese", I said "most Chinese I know are thoroughly embarrassed", the key words being "I know". I still stand by that.

I also said "slightly arcane culinary tradition", as opposed to just "arcane culinary tradition". I stand by that too, its just a matter of degrees. It is ever so slightly arcane, don't you agree? From Webster's Dictionary: "–adjective / known or understood by very few; mysterious; secret; obscure; esoteric". I think it ticks most of those boxes - at least from a Western perspective, and therein lies the rub.

But I do agree with the rest of your comments 100%, especially your points about pet lovers and the animal rights crowd (their identical standpoints in China and the West, so conveniently overlooked by the anti-China brigade)...

And the thing both you and smog said about the frame possibly being used to hang the dog to beat it to get a better taste (allegedly from the adrenaline coursing though it's veins), gave me shiver down my spine!

But why leave the head hanging there like that though? That's what I want to know, as its just downright freaky!

:-)

Thanks for your kind comments.

Thanks for your kind comments.

Yes, you're right, you said "most Chinese" you know...which is why I said "I'm not sure if I'd say" and "In my experience..." ;)

Re: arcane
Interestingly, I was mostly responding to the word "tradition", not "arcane".

I have no problem with your artistic license either way. I was just using your words as jump-off points for sharing my agreement and perspective with you on your anti-China brigade sentiment.

No idea why the dog's head is left hanging like that. Could be as lame as them not yet getting around to disposing it to something disturbingly nefarious like trying to scare the puppies or people in general. Disembodied heads are never really cool to behold.

UNLESS THEY ARE OF YOUR SWORN ENEMY...

...HOFFORD.

I've seen skinned dogs and other animals hanging in restaurant kitchens, but nothing like this. It's a rather disturbing image.

I'm not even going to get into dissecting those nits we are picking.

About the head hanging thing. Your theory about lameness sounds about right to me.

And about disembodied heads > I was wondering what that dead horse's head was doing hiding under the sheets of my bed when I got back to my hotel last night...

Do you think somebody is trying to tell me something?

In regards to why the puppies were there I believe they are probably from the same pack as the adult beheaded dog. The coloring of the puppies and the adult are different but I wouldn't say they were a seperate breed. They appear to be spitz-type mongrols and could very well be the offspring of their unfortunate companion. From the drying pelts which appear to be adults ( hard to say) the puppies which were either spared or escaped are now hanging around because this is the place where the scent of their pack is most prevalent. They are too young to be on their own and are staying near their pack's or mother's scent. Sad.

sick