Destinations known | Dog meat off the menu in Vietnam’s capital Hanoi, as tradition clashes with contemporary tastes
Officials have urged residents of the Vietnamese capital to stop eating dog meat because of public health, and image, risks
From tree-lined boulevards and golden-hued colonial architecture to seemingly impenetrable blocks of motorbikes that miraculously part to let pedestrians pass and their unique cacophony of horns and hums, Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, has much to offer visitors. And then there is the food.
However, one long-held culinary tradition is soon to be no more: the dog- and cat-meat trade.
Last month, government officials called for an end to the industry, citing health and public image concerns. “The trading, killing and use of dog and cat meat has brought on a negative reaction from tourists and expatriates living in Hanoi,” and it could damage the city’s reputation as a “civilised and modern capital”, said the Hanoi People’s Committee in a statement released on September 11.
Speaking to news website Southeast Asia Globe, a representative from the Department of Health in Hanoi, said that there are plans to “gradually phase out the slaughtering and trading of dog meat”, adding that “by 2021, there will be no dog meat restaurants in the city centre”.