Illustration: Peter C. Espina/GT

Downton Abbey, a British TV show that is an outrageous hit in China, has a new credit for prompting wealthy Chinese fans to try traditional British upper-class sports such as hunting. According to a recent report by the Daily Mail, inspired by the popular ITV period drama, superrich Chinese tourists are splashing out up to 100,000 pounds ($167,790) on a trip to Scotland, emulating the lifestyle of Downton Abbey's Earl of Grantham.

Chinese hunters were reportedly employing castles with butlers and staff included in some of Scotland's most picturesque locations, and participating in what was called the "sport of kings" as royalty and aristocrats often participated.

Among the comers was billionaire Jack Ma, China's e-commerce giant who is listed as one of the top 200 richest people in the world.

Ma was said to hire four helicopters to fly him and his 11 friends. They spent $60,000 renting an old Scottish castle near Loch Ness for a hunting holiday of seven days and shot 17 stags.

The report made waves in China. The business tycoon responded immediately, claiming that the deer-hunting expedition which happened two years ago was under the aegis of the Nature Conservancy, a large environmental NGO that advocates a business-friendly approach to hunting and preservation, and the trip was for animal conservation, not recreation.

As China's economic strength goes, the Chinese super-rich have been often portrayed as cruel and ostentatious trophy hunters.

The Daily Mail in 2012 attacked China's nouveau riche in a story that accused an agency running a club allowing them to hunt down endangered polar bears.

The report exposed wealthy Chinese to the condemnation of international animal rights groups and the public, though it's unclear whether any Chinese actually took up the offer to hunt bears.

True, there have been a growing number of wealthy Chinese travelers going abroad for trophy hunting in recent years. As a shrinking and unpopular activity in the West, the emerging Chinese rich have become prey for an industry keen to find new customers.

Hunting proponents argue that the sport is an effective form of animal management and conservation. And this is a legal activity, be it for recreation or animal conservation, not illegal poaching.

But for wealthy Chinese, to take up a sport traditionally regarded as a sadistic aristocratic pastime, especially one that touches on the sensitive issue of animal rights, is a touchy point.

And many existing hunters, who see the sport as a maintenance of tradition and culture, don't welcome the newcomers either. China's nouveau riche don't have a good reputation. The old term for Chinese "Beverly Hillbillies," tuhao, has now been adapted to refer to China's vulgar rich.

China's lust for animal products also fuels the controversy over wealthy Chinese hunting overseas. China has one of the biggest markets for products of wild animals such as tigers, elephants and bears, which, labeled as a symbol of social status and power and worshipped for their largely fictitious medicinal magic, are particularly popular among rich businesspeople and some officials.

It was disclosed in March by Chinese media that a handful of local public figures and affluent businessmen gathered in Guangdong Province to watch the mass killing of more than 10 tigers by a smuggling ring, meant as a display of their social status and wealth.

In China, despite enhanced protection for the big cats, tiger meat and bones are a rare and pricey commodity.

As the animal rights movement gains power worldwide, Chinese hunters may face particularly harsh scrutiny.  When rich Chinese hunters are firing shots at wild animals, they should take care not to hit themselves in the foot.

The author is a reporter with the Global Times. yujincui@globaltimes.com.cn