Residents of China's southern city of Yulin defended their annual dog meat festival.

Residents of China's southern city of Yulin defended their annual dog meat festival.
The ten-day event, which opened last Thursday, has become a lightning rod for dog activists who have tried to pressure organizers to cancel the annual festival.
Activists say the dog meat trade is inhumane and unhygienic. But supporters, including Yulin residents, say the festival is part of popular custom, which cannot be labeled as right or wrong.
Dog meat is a traditional food in some areas of southern China, where it is believed to be good for the body in warm weather.
Still, opponents say the festival and dog meat are not part of mainstream food culture in China.
But international activists are having a harder time exerting pressure after China leveled up scrutiny of foreign groups by requiring them to register with police.