Hanoi (AFP)
Sausages, grapes, milk or cakes, placed on gravestones at the cemetery of domestic animals in Hanoi: in this month of ghosts, dogs, cats and other turtles buried are entitled to a real treat.
Dozens of pet owners participated in a solemn ceremony at the "Te Dong Vat Nga" pagoda, around which thousands of cats and dogs were buried.
This ritual feast is usually practiced in Vietnam as a tribute to the ancestors, in accordance with a belief that their soul wanders on the earth during Ghost Month and is honored by a great feast, before it ends in late August. .
But for the Buddhist charismatic managing the cemetery for pets, these companions deserve to be treated with the same dignity.
"We love dogs and cats, not only in this life, but also after death," says Nguyen Bao Sinh, who opened his cemetery 50 years ago.
He claims to have cremated or buried more than 10,000 animals - including turtles, birds and fish - and is charging between 45 and 65 dollars (40 to 59 euros) to the masters who wish to install a tombstone for their deceased companion.
"Good deserves a decent place to rest in peace," said Nguyen Anh Minh, after putting down milk, yogurts and grapes at the grave of his husky, who died this year.
For Nguyen Thi Xuan Trang, who regarded his dog Quoc as his son, offering a real burial ceremony to his pet was a source of serenity.
"I bring her moon cakes and peanuts, it's her favorite food," she explains in the middle of the cemetery.
Nguyen Bao Sinh recalls that people took him for a madman when he began the process of opening the cemetery, in a country where cat or dog meat is sometimes offered at the table.
Although owning a pet has become more common in Vietnam over the years, it is not uncommon to see guard dogs locked in cages, or rhinoceros horns and other pangolin scales used in medicine. traditional.
"Humans and animals are equal," he says. "And when you love animals, then you will not hurt a human!"
© 2019 AFP