Inside the horrific, inhumane animal markets behind pandemics like coronavirus

I lived in Beijing for three years. Also travelled around china for a little bit.

The thing is, and this happens a lot when someone is talking about another country, they tend to use the same brush, and fail to look at people in said country as individuals. Happens all the time.

Now, I am a chicken, beef person, and I certainly cannot eat anything that looked how it looked when it was alive. I never really try new foods, i normslly stick to what I know. And in my opinion, the food was amazing. Never got sick while living in China, just the usual colds and stuff.

But the thing is, not everyone eats Dog, not every eats bats. In fact, my wife who is Chinese did not believe me when I said this virus could have been started by bats, and the preperation of bats to eat. She had no clue that people eat bats in china.

In fact, all the chinese people I know have never even eaten dog. Of course it happens, but s lot of people do not eat these types of food in china.

At the end of the day, if they want to eat them, that's fine. In India, a cow is looked at as a sacred animal, and they would never eat beef, as far as I know, but dies that stop people in the West eating beef? Of course not.

I do agree with is how these animals are sometimes killed in china, for food or medicine (which does not work). Its terrible that these animals have to go through that, but people would argue how animals are treated when it comes to agriculture farms around the world.

So, when you see skinned dogs or cooked bats. Remember, a lot of Chinese people do not eat that. And a lot of Chinese people eat what most people in the West would consider normal.

a reply to: Jay-morris

I believe you. I in no way believe that all Chinese are like this. I have seen plenty of Chinese (especially the younger generation) save animals from the horrific Yulan dog meat festival.

It is my understanding, which I admit, isn't much, but I believe that these practices go on in some of more rural areas and the majority of Chinese would frown upon these practices.

originally posted by: toolgal462
a reply to: Jay-morris

I believe you. I in no way believe that all Chinese are like this. I have seen plenty of Chinese (especially the younger generation) save animals from the horrific Yulan dog meat festival.

It is my understanding, which I admit, isn't much, but I believe that these practices go on in some of more rural areas and the majority of Chinese would frown upon these practices.

You are right. It is mainly in rural areas. You walk around cities like Beijing and see all the dog lovers walking their dogs. Same with food. All the restaurants I went too, and all the people I met, including my wife's family, none of them ate anything that would not be eaten in the West. The only time I felt sick was when j was out with people who are fish, because I do not eat fish. But that's it. In all my three years there, I ate what I wanted, and never came across anything bad.

The only thing I would say is there were food stalls selling scorpions on a stick to eat and silk worms. But if people do want to eat them, so what. Food it food and people should not say they should not eat that, just because we do not in the West.

originally posted by: Jay-morris

originally posted by: toolgal462
a reply to: Jay-morris

I believe you. I in no way believe that all Chinese are like this. I have seen plenty of Chinese (especially the younger generation) save animals from the horrific Yulan dog meat festival.

It is my understanding, which I admit, isn't much, but I believe that these practices go on in some of more rural areas and the majority of Chinese would frown upon these practices.

You are right. It is mainly in rural areas. You walk around cities like Beijing and see all the dog lovers walking their dogs. Same with food. All the restaurants I went too, and all the people I met, including my wife's family, none of them ate anything that would not be eaten in the West. The only time I felt sick was when j was out with people who are fish, because I do not eat fish. But that's it. In all my three years there, I ate what I wanted, and never came across anything bad.

The only thing I would say is there were food stalls selling scorpions on a stick to eat and silk worms. But if people do want to eat them, so what. Food it food and people should not say they should not eat that, just because we do not in the West.

Thank you for your first hand account. I am relieved to know that the people who follow such horrific practices are not the majority of the people. Which is what I already believed and hoped.

a reply to: Jay-morris


Also would like to add. The three years I lived there and travelled, the people I met were amazing and friendly. I never had any trouble or hostile reactions. In fact, when I came back to the UK, I was weary walking the streets because I was not used to seeing gangs of troublesome people. Took a little while to adapt again

Me, my wife and my daughter go back every two years so my wife and my daughter can see the family. Supposed to go this year, but my wife is sick. But eith all what's going on, msybe it's a good thing to skip this year.

a reply to: Jay-morris

Definitely a good idea to skip the trip this year. I hope your wife feels better soon.

originally posted by: toolgal462

originally posted by: Jay-morris

originally posted by: toolgal462
a reply to: Jay-morris

I believe you. I in no way believe that all Chinese are like this. I have seen plenty of Chinese (especially the younger generation) save animals from the horrific Yulan dog meat festival.

It is my understanding, which I admit, isn't much, but I believe that these practices go on in some of more rural areas and the majority of Chinese would frown upon these practices.

You are right. It is mainly in rural areas. You walk around cities like Beijing and see all the dog lovers walking their dogs. Same with food. All the restaurants I went too, and all the people I met, including my wife's family, none of them ate anything that would not be eaten in the West. The only time I felt sick was when j was out with people who are fish, because I do not eat fish. But that's it. In all my three years there, I ate what I wanted, and never came across anything bad.

The only thing I would say is there were food stalls selling scorpions on a stick to eat and silk worms. But if people do want to eat them, so what. Food it food and people should not say they should not eat that, just because we do not in the West.

Thank you for your first hand account. I am relieved to know that the people who follow such horrific practices are not the majority of the people. Which is what I already believed and hoped.

It def is the minority. But you know what it's like. People tend to used the same brush when it comes to people from another country, which is strange when you think about it because very never do that to their own country because they know everyone is an individual. Just wish they would do the same when it comes to people from other countries.

China is not perfect. The government is always scared of an uprising. Human rights is still #ty, and the fact that tbey censor a lot of stuff from the west. But tbe thing is, more and more chinese people sfudy abroad, and all these chinese people go back to china with a dufferent perspective, and that is a good thing.

originally posted by: toolgal462
a reply to: Jay-morris

Definitely a good idea to skip the trip this year. I hope your wife feels better soon.

Thank you

I saw a documentary on HBO maybe 20 years ago that was about this exact thing.

They hit a cat on the head a few times, it was still with it and not unconcious completely, then put it in a pot of really hot boiling water that had a lid. A pressure cooking drum shaped thing.

Then, they pulled it out and it's still alive, they peel the skin and fur off easily, it slides right off, and put it in a children's pool of cool water. It wasn't bleeding or anything, but you can see it trying to breath, inhaling the water until it drowns.

In another clip, there's a dog for sale in a market for eating that didn't die completely yet after being cooked. Bald and burnt with no eyes of course. These things happen in the poorest parts of Southern China where they harvest and eat insects. Big tubs of those were for sale too, crickets and mealworms.

a reply to: Nyiah

I've butchered multiple species of animals at the same time - using the same surface.

Rabbits, chicken, turkey, goat...

'Blood touching blood' - doesn't do squat - as long as - once the animal is butchered you clean it well before cooking or freezing.

Note: During the butchering process - even when you're careful - poop gets on meat, so does bile, etc. You wash it off, and then again later...

The cooking process? Yeah - you've got to cook it well...

I'm not saying the Chinese are careful butchers as I don't know.

What I do know is if they were not? A LOT of people would die on a regular basis - no virus needed.

So they must be doing something after the butchering process that 'makes it all ok'....

a reply to: Atsbhct

OK but what able Little Abner Schiff?

originally posted by: Waterglass
a reply to: Atsbhct

OK but what able Little Abner Schiff?

I think he said Americans couldnt trust Donald Trump to do what's right for America, and I think that's generally true.

a reply to: Waterglass

Its no woneder a virus started spreading after what they eat out in china, same as Africans eating Monkey and tha Ebola!

I think the Chinese only have themselves to blame, if indeed this virus started from some animal which in the media they say is snake!

Just need to contain it and stop it spreading outside China and we'll be ok. By that statement, I don't mean I hope the Chinese keep it an die off. i just mean, its not other peopels fault, so we should be left out of the virus catching deathbed.

Having said this, chinese New Year celebrations just passed this wekend in SOHO London, among other Cities and apparently 2000 people flew back from Wuhan last week and god knows where they went and if they have the virus! If any of them went to celebrate in among crowds, we could be in trouble

It's a complicated issue.

Living in the US with our nicely packaged foods that are presented to us in abundance on clean shelves marketed as the best and the healthiest, we can't imagine eating anything else. Born and raise here and having never lived in China it's the only way I know, so it's normal. If I were born and raised in China and grew up eating bat stew, that would be normal.

What I am saying is if you don't know the difference, you don't know the difference.

Complicated.

a reply to: BoxerBrawler

I don't necessarily think the problem is packaged foods and not knowing the difference. The Chinese people are smart people but looking at the conditions of the markets that many frequent doesn't make any sense. When you have animals stacked upon each other intermingling in each others waste, blood, etc it isn't good. Then you factor in where many of these animals came from is possibly unknown. There is no way to know what they were eating and drinking.

I do not know how the markets are run and whether or not many of these animals are illegal or not hands down the Chinese government is failing its people and the world by allowing this to continue. Whether they eat dog, cats, mice is irrelevant and really not my business. What is our business as world citizens is the little or no regulation on where the food is coming from and its background because we can see what can happen and it is becoming a reoccurring problem and won't get any better with the living conditions and market conditions as they are.

They need to start policing these markets better to ensure citizens are safe and the rest of the world. It is really going to be interesting to see how this situation affects the Chinese economy long term.

a reply to: Charliebrowndog

I think it's at least part of the problem. But I see what you're saying.

It's vile.

The reason why I'm saying they just don't know any difference is because I would think that the younger generations especially would want to make some serious changes yet they seem to be content living and eating the way that they do.

Either they don't care, they don't know, or they don't have a choice. None of which are good situations for them or for the rest of the world.

originally posted by: BoxerBrawler
a reply to: Charliebrowndog

I think it's at least part of the problem. But I see what you're saying.

It's vile.

The reason why I'm saying they just don't know any difference is because I would think that the younger generations especially would want to make some serious changes yet they seem to be content living and eating the way that they do.

Either they don't care, they don't know, or they don't have a choice. None of which are good situations for them or for the rest of the world.

So all chinese people eat lime this? A lot of Chinese people do not even eat things like bat and dog. Seriously, unless you have been or lived in China, I would not use the same brush. Do I know what every British person eats or American person eats?

a reply to: Jay-morris
Oh no, he’ll no, that’s not what I meant at all.

But It appears that the population closely related to this virus does. The verdict in that is still out.

I’ve never been to China, I have no idea what they eat. Always hear about Americanized food so I’m sure I’ve never had authentic Italian food either having never been there.

originally posted by: BoxerBrawler
a reply to: Jay-morris
Oh no, he’ll no, that’s not what I meant at all.

But It appears that the population closely related to this virus does. The verdict in that is still out.

I’ve never been to China, I have no idea what they eat. Always hear about Americanized food so I’m sure I’ve never had authentic Italian food either having never been there.

A lot of dishes there are fish, beef, chicken and pork. I tend to stick to what I know, and never had any problem with food there. In fact, that's one of the things I miss is the food. As for people eating bats, my wife who is Chinese did not even know that some people in china ate bats. I had to show her that some do, and that shocked her.

You will find people who mostly eat stuff like this is in rural areas. My wife's family, and the people I know in china do not eat anything like that.

a reply to: Jay-morris

I am not saying that all Chinese people eat like that and I am not saying that all Chinese people eat at markets such as this. What I am saying is that for many hundreds of years we have grown in technological and scientific advancement that has shown us that keeping animals like this is not safe and is not necessary based on what we know. If the Chinese people want to eat dogs, mice, bats etc more power to them if that is the only source of protein they can get.

That said if they choose to eat those animals the Chinese Government should have some type of regulations on how they are kept in the markets and some type of evidence showing where they came from. To have Bats for example in cages sitting on top of ducks or cats where the droppings of bats have no where to go but on the animals below contaminating them and everything they touch is not the right way to go about it. I think there is a risk to the "safe" animals when "unsafe" environments are allowed to continue.

It is interesting that the Chinese Government would spend the Billions of dollars on ghost cities why can't they spend some of that money on providing modern marketplaces for the people to bring and store their goods properly. I would think that would be money better spent than a bunch of empty buildings