Dog meat festival begins in China – locals can’t hide their excitement [PICTURES]

Activists say the ruling could pave the way for the outlawing of dog meat consumption in South Korea, but there is less progress in China where advocates fear their tactics have been counterproductive.

Eating dog to mark the summer solstice is a tradition in China's Guangxi region, where the festival has been held since 2009 to mark the occasion in the town of Yulin. Despite rumours last year that Yulin authorities would ban dog meat sales altogether, many restaurants advertised the controversial offering this week with the veiled moniker of "fragrant meat".