Jizzmonkey - I realize you are taking the !@#$ but just for interest - Shark Fin soup is actually not an old Chinese tradition at all - it recently developed as a way to show how much $$$ you have. It has virtually nothing to do with the tradition or culture of China.
This is the sad thing - Chinese ancient culture is actually quite refined and respectfull of nature - it has been destroyed and perverted by the communists who have enslaved the billions of peasants and destroyed most of their humanity in the last 50 years. As a result you and I probably know more about Chinese culture than the average Chinese these days.
Sadly all that is left of their famous culture is the cuisine....of which shark fin soup never was a significant part until Rolexes and Mercedes Benzes along with expensive wedding banquets (where the bride wears a white dress and the groom a tuxedo - but lets not go there..) became de rigueur. Its the victory of the tasteless nouveau riche masses more than ancient culture.
The average Hong Konger would like to tell you different - but as I said they know less about their culture than you do probably....