Beijing Pets are not a food source... I hope.

People in Beijing love their pets, just like anywhere else in the world.  Even in the humblest neighborhoods there were many little dogs and cats sitting in laps or following their people around.  No where did I see any evidence of anyone eating them... except maybe that bunny.
 

These three kitties were lounging in a small public square in the 798 Art District, when, right on cue, all three ran to this doorway and began mewing and pawing at the door.  In a few minutes the metal gate went up and a man came out with their dinner in a little can.

Naturally, the Pekingese is one of the most popular breeds in Beijing (Peking).  Supposedly it is because, with their flat noses and expressive eyes, they bear resemblance to the guardian lion statues that sit outside the entrances to many homes, like this one.

I also noticed that most of the dogs were not on leashes, but seemed very good about not straying far from their owners.

This dog was waiting outside his home in one of the city's Houtongs, the smaller alleyways that are the old, original streets.  This is another popular breed of dog in Beijing.  I think it is a Spitz, which is a German breed.  Most dogs I've seen here are toy breeds, as well, which are practical choices in the crowded and over populated areas.

I saw several little bunnies in cages outside homes or even inside shops.  They seemed to be pets, but I thought that about the bunnies I saw in Mexico and it turned out some of those were just being kept as a food source :(  I hope for this guy's sake, and that of this little boy who seems to love him, that he is a pet!

UPDATE!:  More evidence of pet lovers in Beijing:  Here is a little store located in one of the houtongs that sells handmade clothes for dogs and cats!

798 Art District (5): Dog Art at the Xin Dong Cheng Space for Contemporary Art

Loved this series by Hung-Chin Peng, called "Face to Face", in the Xin Dong Cheng Space for Contemporary Art Gallery in the 798.  Its not just because I love dogs, these are tender works.

The first is a series of dog sculptures made of fiberglass and incorporate sound.  The dogs' forms are exaggerated shapes and their heads/skulls are open so that you can see from the inside, viewing out through their gaze.

Yes, that is a portrait of Che Guevara, by Xue Song, in the background.

Near the sculptures, in a small adjacent room, is a small monitor playing a loop of film that runs both forward and backward.  It shows a dog licking away and then (as it runs backward) seeming to write excerpts from the Analects of Confucius. I wonder what they used to paint the characters?  Something yummy, I expect. To a dog, anyway. This clip shows the dog "writing" the following: "When a bird is about to die, his cry is full of sorrow.  When a man is about to die, his words can only be good and truthful."  Click here for their website.