A few months ago there was a controversy about the Starbucks that is located inside the Forbidden City.
It all started with a Blog article written by Rui Chenggang an anchorman on CCTV’s English Channel and it sparked a debate on whether the American coffee chain should be removed from the most important landmarks of Chinese civilization. Starbucks opened the Forbidden City branch on September 18, 2000. The mini-cafe is at the southeastern corner of the Hall of Preserving Harmony (Baohedian), one of the three most impressive buildings in the complex, which used to be the venue for feasts of the emperors on the eve of the Lunar New Year. Starbucks was soon forced to remove its trademark green sign in favor of the Chinese characters for Xing Ba Ke, which now adorns the window.
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| We really had to look hard to find it!!! |
* Starbucks or Not Starbucks
