TIGER FARM

CHINA...???

F-U-C-K CHINA...

Animals torn to pieces by lions in front of baying crowds: the spectator sport China DOESN'T want you to see

The smiling children giggled as they patted the young goat on its head and tickled it behind the ears.

Some of the more boisterous ones tried to clamber onto the animal's back but were soon shaken off with a quick wiggle of its bottom.

It could have been a happy scene from a family zoo anywhere in the world but for what happened next.

Scroll down for more

Children feed goats before the 'show' starts. One that has been 'bought' by a visitor is carried off

A man hoisted up the goat and nonchalantly threw it over a wall into a pit full of hungry lions. The poor goat tried to run for its life, but it didn't stand a chance. The lions quickly surrounded it and started tearing at its flesh.

"Oohs" and "aahs" filled the air as the children watched the goat being ripped limb from limb. Some started to clap silently with a look of wonder in their eyes.

The scenes witnessed at Badaltearing Safari Park in China are rapidly becoming a normal day out for many Chinese families.

Scroll down for more

Once the goat is carried from its pen, it is swiftly thrown into the lion enclosure

Baying crowds now gather in zoos across the country to watch animals being torn to pieces by lions and tigers.

Just an hour's drive from the main Olympic attractions in Beijing, Badaling is in many ways a typical Chinese zoo.

Next to the main slaughter arena is a restaurant where families can dine on braised dog while watching cows and goats being disembowelled by lions.

The zoo also encourages visitors to "fish" for lions using live chickens as bait. For just £2, giggling visitors tie terrified chickens onto bamboo rods and dangle them in front of the lions, just as a cat owner might tease their pet with a toy.

Scroll down for more

The ravenous big cats quickly attack the goat and start to tear it limb from limb, all in the name of 'entertainment' for the Badaling zoo visitors

During one visit, a woman managed to taunt the big cats with a petrified chicken for five minutes before a lion managed to grab the bird in its jaws.

The crowd then applauded as the bird flapped its wings pathetically in a futile bid to escape. The lion eventually grew bored and crushed the terrified creature to death.

The tourists were then herded onto buses and driven through the lions' compound to watch an equally cruel spectacle. The buses have specially designed chutes down which you can push live chickens and watch as they are torn to shreds.

Once again, children are encouraged to take part in the slaughter.

Scroll down for more

The lions tear the goat to pieces within seconds of landing in the enclosure

"It's almost a form of child abuse," says Carol McKenna of the OneVoice animal welfare group. "The cruelty of Chinese zoos is disgusting, but think of the impact on the children watching it. What kind of future is there for China if its children think this kind of cruelty is normal?

"In China, if you love animals you want to kill yourself every day out of despair."

But the cruelty of Badaling doesn't stop with animals apart. For those who can still stomach it, the zoo has numerous traumatised animals to gawp at.

A pair of endangered moon bears with rusting steel nose rings are chained up in cages so small that they cannot even turn around.

One has clearly gone mad and spends most of its time shaking its head and bashing into the walls of its prison.

There are numerous other creatures, including tigers, which also appear to have been driven insane by captivity. Predictably, they are kept in cramped, filthy conditions.

!Zoos like this make me want to boycott everything Chinese," says Emma Milne, star of the BBC's Vets In Practice.

"I'd like to rip out everything in my house that's made in China. I have big problems with their culture.

"If you enjoy watching an animal die then that's a sad and disgusting reflection on you.

"Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised by their behaviour towards animals, as the value of human life is so low in China."

East of Badaling lies the equally horrific Qingdao zoo. Here, visitors can take part in China's latest craze — tortoise baiting.

Simply put, Chinese families now gather in zoos to hurl coins at tortoises.

Legend has it that if you hit a tortoise on the head with a coin and make a wish, then your heart's desire will come true. It's the Chinese equivalent of a village wishing well.

To feed this craze, tortoises are kept in barbaric conditions inside small bare rooms.

When giggling tourists begin hurling coins at them, they desperately try to protect themselves by withdrawing into their shells.

But Chinese zoo keepers have discovered a way round this: they wrap elastic bands around the animals' necks to stop them retracting their heads.

"Tortoises aren't exactly fleet of foot and can't run away," says Carol McKenna.

"It's monstrous that people hurl coins at the tortoises, but strapping their heads down with elastic bands so they can't hide is even more disgusting.

"Because tortoises can't scream, people assume they don't suffer. But they do. I can't bear to think what it must be like to live in a tiny cell and have people hurl coins at you all day long."

Even worse is in store for the animals of Xiongsen Bear and Tiger Mountain Village near Guilin in south-east China.

Here, live cows are fed to tigers to amuse cheering crowds. During a recent visit, I watched in horror as a young cow was stalked and caught. Its screams and cries filled the air as it struggled to escape.

A wild tiger would dispatch its prey within moments, but these beasts' natural killing skills have been blunted by years of living in tiny cages.

The tiger tried to kill — tearing and biting at the cow's body in a pathetic looking frenzy — but it simply didn't know how.

Eventually, the keepers broke up the contest and slaughtered the cow themselves, much to the disappointment of the crowd.

Although the live killing exhibition was undoubtedly depressing, an equally disturbing sight lay around the corner: the "animal parade".

Judging by the rest of the operation, the unseen training methods are unlikely to be humane, but what visitors view is bad enough.

Tigers, bears and monkeys perform in a degrading "entertainment". Bears wear dresses, balance on balls and not only ride bicycles but mount horses too.

The showpiece is a bear riding a bike on a high wire above a parade of tigers, monkeys and trumpet-playing bears.

Astonishingly, the zoo also sells tiger meat and wine produced from big cats kept in battery-style cages.

Tiger meat is eaten widely in China and the wine, made from the crushed bones of the animals, is a popular drink.

Although it is illegal, the zoo is quite open about its activities. In fact, it boasts of having 140 dead tigers in freezers ready for the plate.

In the restaurant, visitors can dine on strips of stir-fried tiger with ginger and Chinese vegetables. Also on the menu are tiger soup and a spicy red curry made with tenderised strips of big cat.

And if all that isn't enough, you can dine on lion steaks, bear's paw, crocodile and several different species of snake.

"Discerning" visitors can wash it all down with a glass or two of vintage wine made from the bones of Siberian tigers.

The wine is made from the 1,300 or so tigers reared on the premises. The restaurant is a favourite with Chinese Communist Party officials who often pop down from Beijing for the weekend.

China's zoos claim to be centres for education and conservation. Without them, they say, many species would become extinct.

This is clearly a fig leaf and some would call it a simple lie. Many are no better than "freak shows" from the middle ages and some are no different to the bloody tournaments of ancient Rome.

"It's farcical to claim that these zoos are educational," says Emma Milne.

"How can you learn anything about wild animals by watching them pace up and down inside a cage? You could learn far more from a David Attenborough documentary."

However pitiful the conditions might be in China's zoos, there are a few glimmers of hope.

It is now becoming fashionable to own pets in China. The hope is that a love for pets will translate into a desire to help animals in general. This does appear to be happening, albeit slowly.

One recent MORI opinion poll discovered that 90 per cent of Chinese people thought they had "a moral duty to minimise animal suffering". Around 75 per cent felt that the law should be changed to minimise animal suffering as much as possible.

In 2004, Beijing proposed animal welfare legislation which stipulated that "no one should harass, mistreat or hurt animals". It would also have banned animal fights and live feeding shows.

The laws would have been a huge step forward. But the proposals were scrapped following stiff opposition from vested interests and those who felt China had more pressing concerns.

And this is the central problem for animal welfare in China: its ruling elite is brutally repressive and cares little for animals.

Centuries of rule by tyrannical emperors and bloody dictators have all but eradicated the Buddhist and Confucian respect for life and nature.

As a result, welfare groups are urging people not to go to Chinese zoos if they should visit the Olympics, as virtually every single one inflicts terrible suffering on its animals

"They should tell the Chinese Embassy why they are refusing to visit these zoos,' says Carol McKenna of OneVoice.

"If a nation is great enough to host the Olympic Games then it is great enough to be able to protect its animals."

Perspectives of China

Perspectives of China

As an American tourist I was quite amazed at the number of opinions, both good and bad, regarding China from various perspectives. The culture is rich and history is abundant everywhere, yet the political scene is obviously less attractive. Clear-cut poverty is much more evident as is a lower standard of living, yet still you can find towering skyscrapers and other majestic sites which only denote wealth. China is a land of great contrasts. For all the beauty of the landscape, there's horrible air and water conditions. For all the courteous customs of the Chinese people there's the annoying salesperson out to make a deal (and usually any type of deal). Hell, you can even find things for sale like this that would have potentially inhibited my ability to return back into the States. So this shirt brought up an interesting debate regarding re-entry into the U.S. If you were wearing it, would they let you through? Can they bock your re-entry simply because of a t-shirt? What if you were an Iraqi who immigrated to the States, and you actually though Saddam was a good leader? Would you be arrested for voicing that opinion (assuming you do so peacefully)? So what is really bad about that t-shirt? I'm convinced I should have gotten it. I probably could have gotten it for $1 USD.

China's political scene is pretty ugly. The Communist party has complete control over the country, and while they are not as bad as it may seem, brainwashing is evident everywhere. Pictures of Mao Zedong, statues of Communists, claims in museums of the "great accomplishments" of the Communist party members, the list goes on and on. It is no wonder that the tragedy of Tiananmen Square in 1989 occurred, yet only to be suppressed by the Communists. People are pretty hush about politics, fearing that any sort of opposing words would mean imenent doom for them. In the eyes of an American we think that that's not cool, even if it means that the competition is one George W. It's better than nothing. Perhaps it's better to simply fit in, like this, though my brother forgot to wear the black pants (This was actually hilarious - there was this entire tour group in blue as well, and my brother and I just took a series of shots of him pretending to be in the tour group. I've attached them if you want a laugh). By dumb luck though, you may very well see a friendly face like my mom did (and if you can't figure out which one is my mom.... wow). Credit must be given where credit is due, though: there's no neglecting the fact that China has the potential to become a superpower. Yes, even with it's 90% pirated crap. Then again, it is of interest to know that the wealthiest places in China are the places most influenced by the outside world: Shanghai and Hong Kong. I guess that's just yet another testament to the communism-doesn't-work campaign if you still aren't convinced.

But one must remember, most vacations to China don't concern the current political scene or the conditions of poverty (though you cannot run away from them - there's an inordinate amount of handicaps and abnormal people who are always following you begging for money). Most people come to observe the past dynasties and the history as well as the beautiful countryside. No one can deny that China's history is magnificent with world known attractions such as the Great Wall, Forbidden City, and the Terra-Cotta Warriors. Scenery doesn't get better than Guilin, where a river cruise is literally the scenic route. Some mountains along the way are interesting to behold too, like this one, where in theory there are nine horses on the mountain-side (in the white scratch marks - I can find like 3 clear ones only). In a separate place in Guilin, this mountain is supposed to be an elephant, but I don't see it at all, and I think it's totally a hoax to get more tourists. There are many parks with interesting scenes like this, this, and this. Hell, you can even find peacocks, fish, and chickens around. Was China worth it? I suppose so. There certainly were good times and bad times. The food (shockingly) overall was a disappointment, though it was still pretty good; I just had my expectations set too high. The people are a wide variety. Most people were alright, though more than a handful were downright annoying (see: shop vendors) or depressing. China does show promise of a wealthier nation overall in the future, and I guess that's why the U.S. wants such good relations with them.

Chinese prison is a toy factory

China produces 75% of the world’s toys.
What’s behind the “Made in China” label attached to Chinese toys?

Eternity in an Hour

“A Tragedy in China”(By Yuan Li, Oil on Canvas - 46 in x 36 in – 2004) A wife weeps beside her husband, who has been tortured to death at a brainwashing center. He holds in his hand a document that torturers unsuccessfully attempted to force him to sign, a pledge that defames Falun Gong. (courtesy of falunart.org)

High-resolution image (640 x 500 px, 100 dpi)

Standing in front of the painting “A Tragedy in China,” you can’t help being struck by the powerful image. You fall silent when entering the intense moment in the painting, a moment of strong contrast, a moment of life and death.

It portrays a sad story of a married couple who practice Falun Gong in China. A paper lies in the hand darkened by blood gathered at the lower corner. This is the key to the story. The torn and crumpled paper shows that the husband refused to sign a pledge to renounce and defame Falun Gong. Follow the arm to the upturned face then across the chest—even in death he radiates splendor, with a golden light coming from beneath his hand covering the blood. Perhaps it reveals a golden heart of truth. The unsigned paper in fact asked him to choose between life and death. If he signed to renounce Falun Gong, he would be released from the brainwashing center. If he refused to do so, he would face torture and probably death. He made his choice.

Against the stark coldness of the background, stained with blood, he looks pure and bright. The red cloth covering his eyes indicates that the persecutor is the Chinese Communist Party. The heavy shackles on his feet, snake-like rope and electric baton on the ground indicate an evil, cruel and wicked torture that had taken place there. A candle lying on the ground indicates that brightness is covered by darkness. The artist use details to enrich the painting, details that are concise, expressive and symbolic, each adding an important element to the story.

In contrast to the cold dead body, a beautiful young woman is sitting in the warm light. The wedding ring on her finger indicates she is the wife. The watch, the style of the blouse and jeans indicate that this is happening in a modern age, today. The artist has emphasized the uprightness about her, in the lines in her pants and the lay of her hair and also the light on her arm, making her seem like a pillar of light in this dark place.

Tears in her eyes and on her face express the sadness and suffering. Reddish lips and cheeks show youth. Crossed arms and firmly closed hands are from the shock of the death, and the determination not to be crushed. There is a small Falun pin on her necklace, half hidden in her clothes. In the darkest moment in her life, when death is closest to her, she firmly holds her belief in Falun Gong. The expression in her eyes is extremely touching—saddened, shocked, but firm. No hatred, no revenge and staying true to her faith. The intensity in her gaze shows her determination.

The white sheet provides a backdrop for the horror, and connects his physical suffering with her mental suffering. It also shifts the overall color tone of the scene. It adds the coldness to the darkness. It makes the wife look small and fragile. With this backdrop, the warm light on her looks more precious and uplifting. In the seemly infinite darkness, brightness prevails. In the midst of the seemly overwhelming evil persecution, compassion prevails.

The main concept and design of this work is very simple. The couple form two straight lines, one horizontal and one vertical, like a cross. It makes the image focused and stable overall. The sharp contrast of the light and the dark, the warm and the cold, the life and the death, the persecution and the courage, the evil and the compassion form an intense moment, a moment that marks history, a moment frozen in eternity. The painting is both a physical description of one act of persecution, and a metaphor for the whole persecution campaign of the Chinese Communist Party against thousands and millions of Falun Gong practitioners.

The Artist

This powerful masterpiece was painted by Yuan Li, a Chinese artist based in Japan. When asked what made him paint this subject, he stops and searches for words. It is hard for him to articulate. Like a genuine artist, he comprehends and expresses himself best not through words, but through his art.

Imbued with Art from an Early Age

Yuan was lucky to be born into a family of artists. Many family members on his mother’s side enjoy painting and paint very well. His youngest uncle was a distinguished professor of oil painting in the School of Fine Art of Shandong University. A quiet boy, Yuan was drawn to his uncle, and watched him painting. Every weekend, many students came to his uncle’s studio to present their work and ask for guidance. He learned a lot from being around them.

When he was nine, he thought long and hard, then made the decision to learn art seriously. He asked his uncle to teach him systematically. His uncle prepared a sketchbook for his first class and wrote one word on the first page: “Persistence.”

He took art seriously. But learning art was not easy. There were times when he wanted to give up painting completely. It was that single word “persistence” that encouraged him to keep going despite all the hardship. These years with his uncle laid a good technical foundation for him, which is crucial for an artist. He completed thorough academic training. He learned to paint with discipline. He gained the skill of traditional art

When he was 20, he began to spread his wings. He entered art exhibitions and made many friends in artists’ circles. They formed a kind of salon life. Young people gathered together to read, and to discuss about music, art, literature and philosophy. He absorbed much knowledge on all subjects, which enriched his art works and fueled his passion for art.

Sometimes, he worked non-stop. He would lock himself in the studio for a few months and come out with a roomful of paintings.

However, his art was only a language and a tool, a means to an end. He was more interested in exploring the mysteries of life and the universe, the relationship between humans and nature, and how human beings should live. He used his art to pose questions of life and search for answers to those fundamental questions. When asked about his life in his 20s, he responded, “I was looking for something eternal.” This one sentence sums up his youth.

Spiritual Crisis and Discovery

In 1993, Yuan moved to Japan with his wife. He was quite successful there. His works were featured in numerous art exhibitions and he received commissions from art dealers. But in 1996, he experienced a spiritual crisis. He felt mankind is going toward a dead end if it continues in the current direction. The world seemed to be in danger, and life seemed so meaningless. He started to paint less and read more.

He asked, Is there a way out? Is there a way to elevate ourselves and reach eternity? These questions were so real and pressing that he could not sleep soundly. Then, he decided to look for answers back in China. He bought all the books he could find on Buddhism and qigong and brought boxes of them back to Japan.

He started to read the books one by one, hoping to find the answers to his questions. After reading through half the books, he came to “Zhuan Falun.” He was shocked after reading it. It answered all the questions he had, all the questions about the meaning of life, where the universe originated, and what is eternal. He immediately flew back to China again to learn the Falun Gong exercises and meditation.

Artist Yuan Li (The Epoch Times)

Within a few weeks after he started to practice Falun Gong, his health improved. His stomachache, wrist pain, insomnia of many years were gone forever. More importantly, he had a total new perspective on the world. He understood that “Truth, Compassion and Tolerance” is the eternal spirit of the universe. Time and Space, Science and Art, Culture and Religion—every subject seemed clear to him now through learning Falun Gong. It also gave him a new understanding of art.

He says, “Before I started my cultivation practice, I regarded traditional classical painting as one of the many schools of painting. I thought it had passed its peak in history. Now I have a newfound respect for classical painting. I think it is the way we should paint. Gods created mankind and all other creatures in the universe. The modern painters portray human beings in dissected forms and follow their own deviated notions in their paintings. It is disrespectful to do so because gods have created human beings according their own images. The most fundamental principle of painting is to be truthful.”

If China were not persecuting Falun Gong practitioners, he would be painting to portray gods as they are in paintings from the Renaissance period. Those paintings show details of gods and scenes of the heavens. However, because Falun Gong practitioners in China have been suffering so much, he thinks it’s important to make the persecution known to the world. He wants to make it known at a more profound level, through the language of art. That’s when he started painting “A Tragedy in China”.

He says that practicing Falun Gong has given him wisdom in his art work. Through the Falun Gong meditation and teachings, he has gained a more profound understanding of the principles of life and the universe. For example, in the Falun Gong teachings, it says that the finer the things are, the more microscopic they get, and the closer they are to the truth. He understands that if he puts more details into a painting and keeps polishing it, it would be even more real than a photograph. It will surpass a photograph, and you will feel the painting to be more vivid, more real and more touching. He feels he has grasped the essence of classical painting.

This is the process of his work on “A Tragedy in China.” He kept polishing it over and over again. It takes great determination and discipline, and a true commitment to a high standard of art. In the end, a true life radiates out of the painting. It is so real, as if there is a life in it.

Through the process of this painting, Yuan realized that, as an artist keeps refining his mind at the same time he is refining his art, both artist and artwork will be transformed. He has reached new heights in life and new heights in art this way. More connected to God than ever, he is painting with an awakened soul. He now understands why classic art is the most truthful art form. Why did the Renaissance present the highest level of human art? In the future, humanity will return to righteous ways. With his own work, he is touching the coming new renaissance.

“A Tragedy in China” Tours the World

The painting immediately became a huge success. It is the signature piece among 40 other paintings in the exhibition “Uncompromising Courage,” which started to tour around the world in 2004. It is featured on posters and brochures all over the world. From a Congressional office building in Washington, D.C, to the National Arts Club in Manhattan, to San Francisco, Chicago, and Boston, to Canada, South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Brussels, London, Germany, Sweden, and Turkey—there is an exhibition almost every week somewhere around the world.

Audiences responded strongly. In the guestbook, people wrote: “Very special and uplifting;” “The depth of the exhibit will stimulate change and human improvements;” “A moving and inspiring art show. It gives you courage to be a better person;” “You have shown courage and hope for the future;” “Thank you for the much needed insight. It was like I was attending church, much needed spiritual input.”

Great Artist, Great Moment

What makes a great artist? “High morality and excellent technique,” Yuan answers. This is the summary of his own path. An artist has responsibility to society. Righteous art can lift people up and guide them to brightness. True art can give people hope and heal souls. True art can teach people what true beauty is in the world.

He now understands clearly the direction of righteous art: to display what's beautiful, what's upright, what's pure, what's good, and what's bright and positive.

What makes great art? A great artist at a great moment in history. The persistent and peaceful response to the persecution of Falun Gong is a great subject during this great moment in history. The courage of Falun Gong practitioners holding to faith in the darkest hour will become a legend in the future. It is history in the making. Yuan is trying to reflect this great moment. The artist steps up to fill the void when political and economic considerations have rendered the world’s governments and media mute. Just like the art portraying the early years of Christianity, art in response to a dramatic moment will become an ever-lasting beacon for mankind.

True art is a vehicle of truth and a voice of eternal beauty. Eternity captured in one great moment: As William Blake says in the poem “Auguries of Innocence”

To see a World in a Grain of Sand And a Heaven in a Wild Flower, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour.