Violet_1125

From February,there were voice said that Starbucks should move out of the Forbidden City.people who think it should move out is that Starbucks is unmatch with Chinese culture,espeicailly in Forbidden City.but there were another voice said offord good service to tourists in better.
now,Starbucks was closed yesterday at 3:00pm,Liwen,curator of Fobidden City said all of good will signed Forbidden City and not permit independent commerce in Forbidden City.
but still has different voice now.some people said there are many foreigners visit Forbidden City.as Chinese like the tea,foreigners like coffee,Starbucks closed,we have to offord another kind of coffee.now that we still need offord coffee,why we are focus which kind of brand?
do you think it is good for tourists of not?

rkkwan

So, I'm looking at some photos of this shop inside the Forbidden City. My problem is that round logo that is attached to the wooden window, and the names behind on the glass.

If it was just a snack bar that happens to serve Starbucks-branded coffee, it wouldn't be such a problem.

Anyways, it shows that China is all about money these days. Everything, anything goes. Show how culturally insensitive some people are.

thursdaysd

I did actually drink in the Starbucks in the Forbidden City, but mostly because I wanted a seat and a toilet. I'm delighted that it's closed. I drink both Chinese tea (not Indian!) and coffee, and a tea shop instead of Starbucks would be just fine with me.

rkkwan

Let me clarify my point. It doesn't matter if the store sells coffee or tea or ginseng. It shouldn't have prominent signs of a private brand stuck on the side of a palace building.

Say if "RKKWAN" is the world's most popular Chinese tea house. Would it make it right if I put a huge sign of RKKWAN with my photo on that store front inside the Forbidden City? NO!

ekscrunchy

Thanks for the update, Violet!

Shanghainese

Great post, Violet, informative and invites thought.

My view is NO, it's tacky commercialism.

I can't wait to visit a RKKWAN Teashop, not in the Forbidden City.

rkkwan

BTW, since I said I don't like my picture on a palace building, let me state that I think they should take down that Mao picture in front of Tiananmen.

Nobody cares about Mao these days.

roslaire

rkkwan-funny!

I was surprised by the Starbucks in the Forbidden City. By the time our tour group figured out there WAS a Starbucks,our tour guide wanted to push us out of that area into the 'tiled area with dragons'. He wanted us to hunger and thirst for our lunch. aka save room for lunch.

Neil_Oz

roslaire, would I be right in concluding that Starbucks wasn't paying a kickback to your guide?

I'm no fan of Starbucks anywhere - I don't find their coffee very good, and it's overpriced, especially with no table service - but I have to admit we used them in China, for the same reasons as thursdayd (and I do like my caffeine fix).

I wish it were possible to buy stocks in their Chinese operation, though, and those of KFC, McDonalds etc. The prices, when compared to what you can buy a meal or a beer for in China, and what their staff would be earning, are absolutely outrageous. It must be like having a licence to print money.

My daughters, who learned to read some Chinese while working there, tell me that the paper place mats in McDonalds outlets carry the most incredible claims for the health benefits conferred by a steady diet of Big Macs. As consumer protection and reliable healthy-eating information isn't a strong point of the Chinese system, they're probably widely believed too.

Shanghainese

Neil -- Your DDs are so sharp to notice that. Have them check out the Burger King advertising, they entered the China market last year and are trying to outdo the big M with unbelievable health benifits claims.