Chinese authorities and CKU position themselves against the so-called « Yulin Festival »

Explanation to the so-called “Summer Solstice Lychee & Dog Meat Festival” by the People’s Government of the Yulin City

For a while,the Yulin Summer Solstice Eating Dog Meat custom has been discussed on the Internet. The government of the Yulin City pays high attention to this matter. In order to reply to the concern both from  Internet and the society,a special description is made here.

I

There is no so-called “Summer Solstice Dog Meat Festival”

For recent years,few citizens of the Yulin City have been used to eating dog meat and tasting lychee on the day of Summer Solstice of Chinese Lunar year,so that to some extent it has become a kind of eating custom. The so-called “Summer Lychee Dog Meat Festival” is just called by few business people and is nongovernmental,in fact there is no such kind of festival.

II

Neither government nor any social organization had held any such kind of events in any ways

The Yulin Government or any social organization had never held so called “Summer Solstice Lychee Dog Meat Festival” activities in any ways.

III

Relevant administrative departments positively conduct Meat Safety Special Rectification.

The People’s Government of the Yulin City clearly requires respective administrative departments to effectively enforce the regulation for food safety in accordance with the country’s Food Safety Law, and ensure the food safety of the whole city to let the civilians eat safely. For the time being, started by the government of the city,the Yulin Food Safety Office is responsible for organizing relevant industry departments, including the Aquatic Animal Husbandry,the Industry and Commerce,the Food and Drug Administration, the City Planning and the Public Security Bureau etc. to strictly implement inspection, enforce slaughter link management,advocate civilized slaughter,as well as strictly forbid slaughter on the street. Relevant industry departments will also need to strengthen supervision on circulation channels of meat products, issue certifications to catering companies, ban on peddler and strictly crack down on criminal behavior of pilfering of dogs.

IV

Positively respond to concern from the society and advocate civilized and healthy cuisine

As to the concern from Internet and the non-governmental organizations, about the custom of eating dogs, the government of the Yulin City attaches great importance to it and will further supervise each link and make efforts to manage and administer such behavior. Meanwhile, the government will also strongly advocate to protect animal with an aim to create a civilized and healthy catering culture, as well as to advocate cadres from companies and government departments to behave as pioneer to improve the civilized quality of citizens and eat in a civilized and healthy way. We would like to be in a more open mind to welcome more people to care about, concern with and support Yulin.

People’s Government of the Yulin City