Well, Maria, as you know me well, I think that to have such a modern day fixture of corporate America inside an ancient, historical and cultural significance of China is definitely wrong. Not only is Starbucks American, but it doesn’t belong there one bit. All I thought about when I read your blog, was that they must have paid big bucks for that coffee shop to be there.

Why Starbucks? Why the symbol of US empowerment in taking over the world? Why INSIDE the FORBIDDEN CITY? What was the point in putting it there? If it’s not even noticeable, does it get business? The fact that it’s small does not take away the symbolism that the coffeeshop brings.  It does not accentuate or expand the historical significance of this palace and therefore, should not even be there.
Call it hypersensitive, but those people who agreed to put/leave it and those who agree with it still apparently have no respect for the historical and cultural. If anything, they could have put a Chinese tea shop there instead of a Starbucks.
‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do.’ Or in your case, ‘When in China...’

The Starbucks in the Forbidden City is actually more low-key than it used to be. I have a photo from 2003 when there was a sign outside the shop. Not as big as a normal Starbucks shop sign, but big enough so that you noticed it. By summer 2004 there was a more modest sign, and as I recall, last summer there was no sign outside--you had to know that it was in the gift shop. I don’t think that anyone forced the Chinese to have Starbucks coffee there. I’m sure it was some very enterprising Chinese who thought this was a good way to make a quick buck off foreign tourists. And they probably are making a good deal of money that way.

I was just in Beijing (June 2006) and visited the Forbidden City. Before I left on my trip I was aware of the controversy surrounding this particular Starbucks location and was interested to see for myself. There is no sign advertising its presence, if you did not know where to go, you would literally walk right by it.

People should also be aware that there are numerous gift shops located within the Forbidden City as well as a large, very obvious Kodak shop located in the first courtyard of the city. Why are people not getting upset at that? If anything, that shop is not only visually arresting but taking away from the surrounding ambience of this cultural site with its glaring yellow banners.

Starbucks is providing a service, one that from what I saw was in great demand. No one seemed too supset about having it there. I for one enjoyed a respite from the 38 degree weather.

I think people need to put this into perspective. Which cultural landmarks do you visit today that do not have some kind of beverage kiosk on location?