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The decorated carcass of a fattened pig, winner of the “holy pig” contest, is paraded in Sanxia district in New Taipei City, Taiwan February 2, 2017. The winner of Taiwan's “holy pig” ceremony on Thursday defended the lunar new year tradition against critics who argue the fattened animals are raised under cruel conditions. The ceremony harkens back to a time when early Chinese settlers to Taiwan used to pray to mountain gods and local deities for protection against wild animals and other threats. Each new year, the fattened pigs are slaughtered and the carcasses decorated and paraded through the streets of Sanhsia, a traditional district in northern Taiwan, to the temple. The owner of the biggest pig wins the competition and with it an auspicious sign that the year to come will be a lucky one. (Photo by Tyrone Siu/Reuters)
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