CHINA / FILE: Starbucks coffe shop shuts down its controversial Forbidden City outlet
- 00:00:09
- ITN Source
CHINA / FILE: Starbucks coffe shop shuts down its controversial Forbidden City outlet
The location of Starbucks coffee outlet in Beijing, at the heart of the Forbidden city has been a controversial topic for years. The branch has finally closed its doors for good. The Starbucks store in Forbidden City has closed its doors after a barrage of international complaints claiming the coffee shop's position in the heart of the former imperial palace was an insult to Chinese culture. Starbucks was reportedly offered a compromise by Forbidden City officials where they would have been allowed to stay if they were a generic style coffee shop. This required serving domestic coffees and drinks alongside its own distinctively branded coffee. Starbucks refused the offer and the now it is being revamped as a souvenir shop. This Starbucks outlet has a troubled history - it first opened in 2000 amid a media backlash so severe that the museum authorities considered revoking its lease after a couple of months. To ease the strain, Starbucks agreed to remove its attention grabbing sign from the exterior of the building. However, a local television announcer, Rui Chenggang then began an online campaign demanding its closure and accusing the global coffee chain of trampling on Chinese culture. Many people shared Rui's opinion that the Forbidden City is a monument to China's cultural heritage and an inappropriate location for a global coffee chain. Starbucks has taken China as its biggest market outside the United States, with almost one tenth of its international outlets based in China. The rectangular Forbidden City, formally known as the Palace Museum, covers 74 hectares (183 acres) and is surrounded by a moat to the north of Tiananmen Square-- it has 9,999 rooms. It was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1987. ENDS.
ITN Source | July 14, 2007
