The Lychee and Dog Meat Festival, is an annual celebration held in Yulin, Guangxi, China, during the summer solstice in which festival goers eat dog meat and lychees. The festival began in 2009 and spans about ten days during which it is estimated that 10,000–15,000 dogs are consumed. This year, the festival will begin on June 21st, and conclude on June 30th. 

As eating dog meat is not illegal in China, the authorities say there is no action for them to take. Again, they are technically correct in this stance. How could they justify making an action illegal in one part of the country for a few days of the year, but not others?

What happens in Yulin during the summer solstice is horrifying, but it is the same tragedy that happens everywhere else in the country all year round.

So, yes, we must end the Yulin dog meat festival – but to do that we must also end dog meat eating in China – and that’s a year-round campaign. As the trend towards caring for animal companions in the home continues to grow in China, Animals Asia expects to see increasing opportunities to stop dog and cat meat eating across the country.

This is just one of many festivals that occur all throughout the year, in countries such as China, Japan, and Korea. About 10 million dogs are consumed all over the world, annually.