Politically Incorrect Opening Ceremony

Two roast pigs mark the opening of a veterinary centre

When a company opens a new office, a film crew starts production, or families celebrate upcoming nuptials, a roast pig is usually presented as an auspicious way to mark the occasion.

Key personnel stand around the pig carcass and pose with the chopper, everyone with big smiles all round -- except for the poor pig. Or should I say roast pork.

Animal activists criticized the university for having roast pigs

However, the optics were really bad when the new Veterinary Medical Centre in Sham Shui Po opened on March 27, and they celebrated with not one, but two roast pigs.

How could a medical centre started by City University kill two pigs before it had even saved the life of an animal?

That was the scathing point made by people on social media which spread like wildfire, prompting the university to realize the terribly tone-deaf public relations blunder. It then issued a memo, urging all departments to stop the traditional roast pig-cutting ceremony.

The university tried to explain that the organizing committee had made the arrangements as a gesture of blessing, and that members of senior management did voice their concerns about having the roast pigs for the new veterinary centre's opening.

Now the university tells department to not do "outdated rites"

And now because "considering environmental protection and the concerns of different sections of the community", senior management was now asking all departments to consider cancelling such ceremonies and "other outdated rites at future celebrations".

This traditional pig-cutting ceremony doesn't have to be shelved completely, but it just had the wrong connotations for a veterinary centre. It just looks really bad and makes the opening far from lucky...