Chinese Tourist Site Stages Monkey 'Execution'...Performance Halted Amid Growing Backlash

Reenacting a 'Firing Squad' with Tied-Up Monkeys
Tourist Site Says "Performance Halted"
Animal-Based Attractions Under Fire Repeatedly

A performance video showing monkeys being 'executed by firing squad' at a tourist attraction in China has been spreading online, sparking controversy over animal abuse. As criticism mounted, the performance was halted.

According to Hong Kong media outlet Sing Tao Daily and others on the 26th, footage of a monkey show held at a tourist attraction in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province in northern China has recently circulated online, fueling a growing public backlash.

Scene of a monkey shooting performance held at a tourist attraction in China. Screenshot from Weibo.

In the released video, a monkey wearing a yellow vest is seen kneeling with its arms tied behind its back. A black cloth is also placed over the monkey's head. The performance is reported to recreate a so-called 'execution by firing squad' scenario. The monkey kneels with its face covered, and when the host fires a toy gun, the monkey collapses. The actual footage also shows tourists watching the scene.

Another photo shows a monkey with a metal muzzle strapped to its mouth and a long rope tied around its neck. In some images, the monkey appears to have its skin peeled and bleeding, further fueling suspicions of abuse. As the controversy grew, the tourist attraction stated, "We were only in a cooperative relationship with the performance company and did not operate it directly," adding, "We have terminated the contract and stopped the performance."

In China, sensational interactive content using animals at certain tourist attractions has repeatedly stirred controversy. Recently, a tourist site in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province in the northwest of the country introduced a 'carousel' ride using live horses, which also sparked outrage. The ride reportedly consisted of six horses tied at 1-meter intervals to a circular metal structure and made to spin around, with visitors paying 30 yuan (about 6,300 won) for roughly a 5-minute ride. After operations began, the attraction became so popular that visitors had to line up on-site, but once related videos spread online and criticism mounted that it constituted animal abuse, the ride was ultimately shut down. Some observers point out that, despite such recurring controversies, China still lacks sufficient legal and institutional safeguards for animal protection.