BBC 4: The Biggest Chinese Restaurant in the World

wafflycat · Post by **wafflycat** » 28 May 2008, 19:06

Anyone see this last night?

*Horrible*

I'm not squeamish - have seen animals slaughtered for food over here.

BUT...

How a duck was slaughtered for this restaurant was quite terrible. The duck was held and what looked like the blunt end of a chopstick was used to create a hole in the chest of the duck and it was wriggled. Then the person hold the duck poked his finger in the duck's chest and pulled out the duck's heart... the still alive duck, now with its heart beating on the outside of its chest.. had its heart ripped from it by hand. Apparently ducks are hard to slaughter... and you have to pull the heart out properly..

Then there was a cooking competition to test the speed & skills of the chef. One of the dishes was *live* fried fish. A large fish was alive - held by the head and whilst alive, a cleaver was used to de-scale it, and then, when it was still alive, several cuts were made across each side of the fish. Then, with fish still alive, it was held by the head and the main part of the fish was placed into a large pot of hot oil to fry it. It was held there not for long - so it was still alive, then it was placed, partially fried, and gasping for breath, on the serving dish. Apparently if the fish did not have a moving mouth (gasping to breathe) when on the serving plate, the dish was disqualified - the fish has to be still breathing.

Sorry - culture differences be darned - I think that's plain cruel: torture.

Edit: Should you wish to view this programme to check I'm being truthful, you can currently view it here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/page/item/b00bwsfc.shtml

sharon the chauffeur · Post by **sharon the chauffeur** » 28 May 2008, 19:41

Iam glad i eat at home and know what i cook and where it is from :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

Meanqueen · Post by **Meanqueen** » 29 May 2008, 08:01

Wafflycat, I am saying this because I have a right to express my opinion. Do you have to describe in graphic detail the cruel destruction of a living creature? I could not read all of your post as I find it too distressing. Any reports of animal cruelty, whether it be pictures or text, haunt me for a long time. Even after many years I cannot forget the pain the animal has suffered. Indeed, I feel the pain the animal has suffered. This affects every part of my life, I am not able to perform everyday tasks because I am so overwhelmed with sadness, it is debilitating.

If I come across such reports in the newspaper I have to destroy the whole paper, if a report comes on the radio I immediately switch it off. I have to protect myself from this because I would spend my whole life in such a depressed state, I would never get anything done.

If you have to post anything of this nature again, please just put the link, I can't cope with all the gory details in my face. I won't try and ram vegetarianism down your throat if you dont tell me how animals are killed.

Anyone else like to comment?

Ilona
)gr:

morph · Post by **morph** » 29 May 2008, 09:18

I personally abhore cruelty, but will not hide from it if/when it happens.
One of the reasons I went vegetarian was because of animal cruelty and intensive farming.

I just try and make a difference - however small.

I will now view the link........

I'm at work, so not allowed - I will have to see it later

New to all this · Post by **New to all this** » 29 May 2008, 15:56

Hi Waffly cat.

Yes I saw it - af first it was a really interesting programme showing how the restaurant came to be, but I have got to say even though I was rivited watching what they did to the duck and the poor fsh I have got to say it was horrific.

At the end of the day it is just cultural differences and we should respect that this is how they do it - same as other cultures/religions killing animals by slitting their throats.

I really belive we should know where our food comes from and how it is prepared etc...

Meanqueen in response to your posting Waffly cat did give a warning at the beginning of her post to say it was horrible.

ANyway - I wont be eating wither of those dishes if I ever visit China

Faye x x

Meanqueen · Post by **Meanqueen** » 29 May 2008, 17:22

My above post is my own personal viewpoint, and is in no way connected with my role as a Moderator on Down The Lane.

Ilona

morph · Post by **morph** » 30 May 2008, 08:44

New to all this - I think you've hit the nail on the head about cultural differences.............

Well, I'm now safe in the knowledge that I won't visit China, or the Philippines come to that :shock:

And yes, I agree - there was a warning at the beginning that it was horrible

Meanqueen · Post by **Meanqueen** » 30 May 2008, 09:06

Sorry, but I don't think putting the word 'horrible' is sufficient as a warning, especially as a scan further down reveals such a horrendous description of cruelty.

We will have to agree to differ on that.

Ilona

Effie · Post by **Effie** » 30 May 2008, 10:59

I have watched this thread since Ilona made her first post on it. I must confess that, until then, even though I had opened it, I had little interest in the topic. I had not watched the program even though I knew it was on and, as wafflycat gave the *Horrible* warning, I thought I could live without knowing any more details. It was Ilona's complaint that drew my interest - macabre, I admit.

As I made breakfast I thought about how hard it must be for people, like Ilona, who are very sensitive to certain issues; be they the suffering of people or animals, corporate greed, political incompetence, the list goes on. In modern society, it is hard to avoid exposure to such information and a sensitive person must be left with a difficult choice: to preserve their ignorance of the matters which distress them; to suffer the distress or to learn to be less sensitive.

It's not a choice I could make easily and I'm grateful that I am not very empathetic (a little too much apathy in the way, I think)

I do feel a problem has occurred in that, as a moderator, 'meanqueen' was obliged to read the post but this caused distress to Ilona as an individual. There was no way of knowing this would be a problem when the post was created as we cannot all be aware of the personal feelings of the people who visit this site, even those of the moderators who do such a great job and share the wealth of their experience with us so readily.

No answers from me, only observations and maybe something for you to think about when you make breakfast tomorrow.

Well done to anyone who bothered to keep reading this far! I wish I had made this much effort in my GCSEs, I might have got better grades

Effie

New to all this · Post by **New to all this** » 30 May 2008, 11:37

Very well put Effie )c(

Faye x x

Post by **Richard** » 30 May 2008, 14:50

I thank all for their posts in this thread, realise this a very emotional issue and there's a difference of opinion as to how the original post was put.

However, I do not intend to edit anything as it should stay as written.

There will always be occasions on Forums where a fragile subject will come up.

I do not intend to take sides on the issue as you all have your own point of views and we must all respect them.

Thanks, Richard

(See also 'Members only Discussion')

mellonia · Post by **mellonia** » 31 May 2008, 09:19

Hi

I think if anyone is going to give details of something horrible, maybe we could put "Warning" if you are upset animal cruelty i am a bit like this, as when channel 4 say at the begining of programmes this will contain scenes of a graphic nature and slaughter, i am not keen, i hate cruelty and hate the nsppc adverts full stop campagn, especially as i know that they don't full stop cruelty to kids, they have no powers and sorry to any social workers out there put they don't always do enough, i work in a school and some of our kids have terrible home lives and nobody does anything, one girl has a newly quailfied social worker and she is a bit of a softie, which is such a shame for the child concerned. Sorry if i have upset anyone didn't give any details. i have said to school nurse please fight for this kid, as she can give input at meetings, all social services seem to do is to like having meetings in this case i must add.

Mellonia

Post by **saint-spoon** » 01 Jun 2008, 12:31

Isnâ€™t it funny how we have become desensitised to human tragedy such as earthquakes flooding or mass destruction by the weather; tens of thousands of Chinese dead, many starved to death, buried alive in a tomb of fallen masonry, yet we do not bat an eyelid. South Africa is suffering a resurgence of necklacing (burning tyres around necks etc) etc etc. I stray off topic for a reason, I have a friend who refuses to watch any nature programs such as David Attenborough because animals might be filmed being caught by a predator which she deems as being cruel yet the mass death of children in a collapsed school is bad but she can watch it because itâ€™s newsâ€¦
As for deliberate animal cruelty, I donâ€™t think that there is anyone on this forum who would condone such behaviour but if it is to be stopped then surely it must gain exposure.
I feel for MQ but must also thank WC for bringing this particular story to light.

Meanqueen · Post by **Meanqueen** » 01 Jun 2008, 12:52

I am gratefull when the radio gives a warning if an item contains reports of an upsetting nature, this gives me chance to switch off. They do it mainly for human tragedies, I just wish they would also consider that animal cruelty is just as upsetting for some people.
Ilona

Post by Mo » 01 Jun 2008, 14:17

With the mass news reporting we have to be desensitised to an extent. To things we can do nothing about.
But maybe we are more sensitive to different things at different times of our lives. I remember there was a news story about a child who had been taken abroad by an estranged father, that was reported when I'd just had my 1st baby; it upset me more personally than it would now.