Dog and cat meat traders at Yulin festival in China have said that business is booming, despite calls for it to close amid animal cruelty accusations.

It is expected that thousands of cats and dogs will be slaughtered this weekend to mark the summer solstice on Sunday in Yulin, washed down with lycee wine.

Government officials have ostensibly “banned” the controversial annual Yulin Dog Meat Festival after it attracted protesters and criticism from around the world.

Some readers may find the below images distressing

A woman on her moped transports more than 10 dogs, which had just been slaughtered, to her market shop for sale (AP/Humane Society International)

However, the slaughter of cats and dogs for meat is not outlawed in China, and the local government in Yulin says it cannot stop legitimate businesses preparing meat in the run-up to this year’s solstice on 21 June.

In pictures: Yulin meat festival Show all 6 1 /6 In pictures: Yulin meat festival In pictures: Yulin meat festival Yulin meat festival A man selling live dogs for meat Dog meat for sale at Dongkou Market, Yulin, Guangxi Zhuang, China (Photo by Sipa Asia/REX) In pictures: Yulin meat festival Yulin meat festival A dog vendor lifts up a dog to protest against animal rights activists coming to block the local dog meat festival (Photo: EPA/LI KE CHINA OUT) In pictures: Yulin meat festival Yulin meat festival Dog meat for sale at Dongkou Market in Yulin (Photo by Sipa Asia/REX) In pictures: Yulin meat festival Yulin meat festival Dog meat for sale at Dongkou Market, Yulin (Photo by Sipa Asia/REX ) In pictures: Yulin meat festival Yulin meat festival Dog meat for sale at Dongkou Market in Yulin (Photo by Sipa Asia/REX) In pictures: Yulin meat festival Yulin meat festival Animal rights activists in Rome try to reach the Embassy of China to protest against the Festival of Yulin, but are blocked by the police (Stefano Montesi/Demotix/Corbis)

Indeed, it has been reported that business is only getting better for the dog and cat meat traders as the controversy continues.

Celebrities including Leona Lewis and Ricky Gervais have denounced the festival this week.

A slaughterhouse butcher transfers a cat to a cage, to be handed off to Peter Li. Shortly after, Li rescued the cat from the slaughterhouse (AP/Humane Society International)

Peter Li, animal activist group Humane Society International’s China specialist, visited the market earlier this week and reported: “I saw cat and dog intestines and carcasses strung up.