Hong Kong’s famous roast pig-cutting ceremonies: is it time for them to get the chop?

Should centuries-old, traditional roast pig-cutting ceremonies for special occasions be discouraged – even banned – in Hong Kong to appease animal lovers?

The question is being debated across the city after a local university urged all departments to stop the tradition when a pig-cutting ceremony for its new veterinary centre drew criticism that it was killing animals before curing them.

City University’s directive was in turn criticised as a knee-jerk reaction by a member of its own ruling council. Dr Eugene Chan Kin-keung said on Friday that it went against the treasured practice of academic institutions to make decisions based on evidence, logic and justification.

A spokesman for the Food and Health Bureau stated the government’s stance: “There is no direct link between roast pig-cutting ceremonies and animal welfare. We have no plan to stop doing so or stop attending such ceremonies.”

The university’s senior management on Monday asked all departments to consider cancelling such ceremonies and other “outdated rites” at future celebrations after considering environmental concerns and the opinions of different sections of the community.

Mak Ling-ling, one of Hong Kong’s most famous feng shui masters, also described it as an overreaction and called for toleration of diverse views, including support for the offering of animals as sacrifices to the gods under Chinese custom.

The controversy began when the university’s new Veterinary Medical Centre in Sham Shui Po celebrated its opening by chopping up and serving two roast pigs on March 27.

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Images of the event were then posted on City University’s Facebook page, prompting animal lovers to express outrage on the internet.

In a statement on Thursday, the university explained that it had merely observed what was “regarded as a traditional ritual in Hong Kong when a new building has been completed”.

The organising committee made the arrangements as a gesture of blessing, it said, although some members of the senior management team had expressed misgivings before the event.

Animal rights activist Ho Loy said she was shocked the university’s public relations team had made such a careless and thoughtless mistake in the first place.

Council member Chan, who is a dentist by profession, said he respected the university’s decision although he had no idea how its public relations team had advised the management.

“Universities are evidence-based institutions but the decision might give rise to a perception that it is a knee-jerk reaction,” he said.

“It may leave members of the public under the impression the university has lowered itself to the same level as those people who made those jokes, or has just gone with the flow along with them.”

Chan, who also attended the ceremony, defended it as a common tradition at special events for Chinese communities that was well accepted by everyone.

“All guests at the ceremony saw it as an occasion to celebrate the opening of the new centre after putting in tremendous effort,” he said.

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“Those who were present, including myself, had a sumptuous lunch after the ceremony that included roast beef sandwiches and fried shrimp toast. It’s interesting that some people only targeted the roast pigs.

“Like many of my fellow professionals, I am forever amazed by how such a vocal minority can make a big deal out of nothing.”

Feng shui master Mak said the university should not have overreacted, and called for tolerance and mutual respect for customs.

“It is a common practice in the Chinese community to pray that everything goes well for businesses,” she said. “Different people have their own folklore and beliefs and there is no need for finger-pointing.”

Incidentally, the Hong Kong Film Awards Association used a steamed cake instead of roast pig at the blessing ceremony on Friday ahead of this Sunday’s awards.

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The association’s head of publicity, Bonnie Wong, said it had stopped using roast pig for the ceremony since 2015.

“Four years ago, association chairman Derek Yee Tung-sing asked us to come up with a substitute for roast pig for the blessing ceremony because there is no point in killing pigs for fun,” Wong said.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor cut a roast pig at a ceremony marking the Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office relocating to government headquarters in Admiralty last December.