What is more common than breathing? Cannibalism. According to Simon Worrall with National Geographic in China, the act of eating human flesh is less taboo and more political, “It came as a surprise to me that cannibalism was so widespread across nature. Initially, the party line was that the only times you would see cannibalism—unless you were dealing with black widow spiders or praying mantises—would be when it was stress-related or due to a lack of alternative forms of food,” (Worrall 2017). For insects, natural selection favors cannibalism. China’s Cultural Revolution gave rise to destruction, mass rallies, and a transition of power. The revolution caused a drop in the economy, leaving many people hungry. These men and women would often find themselves desperate to find food, “Families were often reduced to trading their children for the children of their neighbors, so they wouldn’t wind up killing and eating their own kids,” (Worrall 2017). China is a perfect example of a country that allowed history to repeat itself. Cannibalism turned from the result of a revolution to a modern-day practice protected by law, “China is a special case because it was never exposed to the taboo against cannibalism. This is a Western taboo,” (Worrall 2017). Furthering Simon Worrall’s article, Hindustantimes wrote an article on specific occurrences of cannibalism within China, “In 1968, a geography instructor named Wu Shufang was beaten to death by students at Wuxuan Middle School. The body was carried to the flat stones of the Qian river where another teacher was forced at gunpoint to rip out the heart and liver. Back at the school, the pupils barbecued and consumed the organs,’’ (AFP 2016). With cannibalism becoming so well known in china many have witnessed these gruesome acts, ‘‘Some residents say they have never heard of the dozens of acts of cannibalism, motivated by political hatred rather than hunger, that once stained the streets with blood,”  (AFP 2016).

learn more about the history of cannibalism by clicking one of the links below.

Sources:

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2017/02/cannibalism-common-natural-history-bill-schutt/

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/dec/31/chinese-cannibalism-infant-flesh-outrages-world/

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world/china-suppresses-horrific-history-of-cannibalism/story-6hbxXBtvWf9LSIS0yaYlIM.html

https://www.weirdasianews.com/2007/04/02/cannibalism-in-china-acceptable-if-for-health/

https://www.thesun.co.uk/living/1467880/nine-places-across-the-world-where-cannibalism-is-still-alive-and-well/

https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3037647/cannibalism-japanese-occupied-hong-kong-when

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/sleeping-with-cannibals-128958913/

https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/food-drink/2017/03/i-ate-human-flesh-and-i-dont-regret-it