Animal lovers seeing red over bullfight ring

• Source: Global Times
• [01:57 January 27 2010]
• Comments

By Lin Meilian

People watch bullfight game in Lianglong Village in Hongshui Township of Rongshui County, southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Aug. 5, 2009. A bullfight game was held here to celebrate the local traditional Xinmi Festival.(Xinhua/Long Tao)

Animal rights activists are trying to stop construction of a bull-fighting ring planned on the outskirts of Beijing.

The Global Times learned of the project after a news agency in Spain announced plans for a Spanish theme park near the Great Wall.

Although bullfights have lost popularity in Spain, a bullring in Beijing this October would be a major tourist attraction, according to a report by the Spanish news agency EFE.

In Spanish bullfighting tradition, the matador kills the bull and the animal's ears and tail are cut off as trophies.

The Spanish promoters say they want to train Chinese matadors.

Manolo Sanchez, a Spanish matador, said last November that he has reached an agreement with the government of Huairou district in suburban Beijing. He said local officials believe that bullfighting, a cultural pillar of traditional Spain, would help put the district on the map, according to the report.

"We believe Spanish-style bullfighting would be embraced by many supporters in China," he was quoted as saying. "In fact, some television stations in China broadcast Spanish bullfights regularly."

'Tarnished image'

The bullfighting arena, with a seating capacity of 7,000, is scheduled to open with two bullfights in October. Sixteen bullfights are planned for next year, according to El Mundo, a daily newspaper in Spain.

Three Huairou officials involved with the bullfighting project seemed uncomfortable discussing the project.

Zhou Huaiming, director of the district commission on science and technology, told the Global Times that he is uncertain over the current status of the project. He said he has not been involved in the planning since he and two other officials returned from Spain last year.

"We do have a plan and we have heard many opposition voices," he said.

He declined to provide details on the deal with Spain. The other two officers remained silent about this project.

It is not the first time that Spanish-style bullfighting has raised eyebrows in China.

Early in 2004, the Daxing district of Beijing ditched plans to host a bullfight performance in a new, 6,400-seat bullring at Beijing's Wild Animal Park. They abandoned their plans after animal rights activists complained that bullfights had "the potential to tarnish Beijing's and China's image."