Old school circuses struggle to survive after animal ban

As the secretary-general of the Yongqiao Circus Association in Anhui province, Zhang Yongheng joked that he is constantly caught between the welfare of animals and human beings.

Seven years after the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development issued a guideline that banned Stated-owned zoos from hosting circus performances featuring animals, Zhang and his association have yet to find a solution to revive the century-old business.

Before the guideline was issued, a circus troupe that featured animals could rake in millions of yuan a year by touring the country, according to the association. Most of the performances took place in zoos.