China’s Family-Run Circuses, Tiger Farmers Jobless Due to New Regulations

China’s Family-Run Circuses, Tiger Farmers Jobless Due to New Regulations
A circus tiger roars during a rehearsal. China Photos/Getty Images
Olivia Li
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Once known as China’s circus town, Haogou township of Suzhou city, Anhui Province, has a relatively long history of family-run circuses.

At its peak, there were over 400 circuses, 20,000 employees, and a combined annual income as high as 400 million yuan (about $63 million). Nearly one-third of the local rural residents made a living by running circuses.