Live Chickens Used As Archery Targets In Jilin Ice And Snow Festival, Because It’s “Tradition”

Many visitors to the Jilin Ice and Snow Festival in Yanji, capital of Yanbian Korean autonomous prefecture, have been complaining recently about a local custom that they deem “cruel.”

According to ancient tradition for many ethnic Koreans living in China (apparently), live chickens are strung by their feet in front of an ice wall and used as archery targets. While some tourists, claiming they don’t want to disrespect local culture, have looked outright giddy while taking up this sport, a great number of others are calling it what it is: inhumane.

At the one-minute mark in the above video, you get to see what happens when a chicken gets hit with a crossbow arrow: muscles tense, wings splay. Death — we can only hope. We’re told some chickens are hit by multiple arrows and yet stay mercilessly alive.

On Sina Weibo, comments have ranged from, “Flip it around and have chickens hang humans up there,” to, “If children see this, they’ll be disturbed.”

Jilin chickens as targets 1 Jilin chickens as targets 2 Jilin chickens as targets 3 Jilin chickens as targets 4

The next video features raw clips of people shooting arrows into chickens. It’s not recommended viewing for those who don’t appreciate moving pictures of animal cruelty set incongruously to happy jig music.

Ku6: News:

Ku6: Raw clips:

(Images via)

    10 Responses to “Live Chickens Used As Archery Targets In Jilin Ice And Snow Festival, Because It’s “Tradition””

    1. Ian G

      TIC, where I am still amazed by the fact that I am still suprised by the abyssal depths of barbarity, stupidity, retardivity, inhumanity, filth, etc etc etc each and every day.

      Reply
    2. Jesse

      OK.

      First of all, if you are here and read Chinese blogs, you have all heard that this is a development issue (insert reference to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs model). I won’t get into this.

      To all those who admit to being sick of people in this country, I advice you go home. I’m not insulting you. I’m not saying take it or leave it. I’m just saying that if this gets to you, it may be time to leave. I’ve been here for 9 year, yet every time some asshole 暴发户 in a BMW almost kills me, I think about leaving. Or becoming a mass murderer. Every time someone makes a dumb-ass stupid assumption about me…every time I meet a government prick who looks down on me… every time someone tries to cheat me… I feel rage. Yet, I’m not sick of the people. So I stay.

      I will say something which most expats refuse to admit… Westerners are not any better than Chinese. Sure we are more cultured in some ways and we treat our pets better. Sure we are better at separating private and public behavior. And our value of individuality makes us a little less likely to do really stupid things just because everyone else does it. However, WE kill more people than Chinese. Our governments kills those people… and we are much more responsible by virtue of the fact that we have democracy. WE (in America) have access to the free internet… yet we refuse to look for the truth, instead believing in crap like Creationism, Birthism, and the universal benefits of capitalism. WE (in America) treat the elderly like shit. And we treat the animals we eat very very poorly.

      But WE have the hypocrisy to think we are better.

      Reply

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