动物保护组织抗议玉林狗肉节

Around 25 animal activists protesting the killing and eating of dogs gathered outside the city government offices in Yulin as a local festival where residents cook and eat dogs gets underway.

An activist expresses his concern.

"At the Dongkou market they are slaughtering.. the water, the environment, what kind of environment is it? Have they carried out food safety inspections? They've never done it, here they bring the dogs over and slaughter them immediately, then immediately they're turned into a crispy dog dish."

Down at the market some locals have defended their tradition.

"Is there not logic? And is there a law? You eat steak, if I told you not to eat steak would that be ok?"

Thousands of dogs are expected to end up on the dining table during the city's annual dog meat festival, which marks the peak of summer.

Locals get together to eat dog meat and lychees, two foods considered to have "hot" energy.

In recent years the event has found itself in the firing line of China's animal rights movement, turning Yulin into a battle ground between those who want to protect the animal and those who would rather just eat it.

The Yulin government has promised to crack down on anyone caught stealing dogs and to ensure food safety, and has banned the slaughter of dogs in public.

For CRI, this is Luo Wen.