Chinese culture can't be defeated by Coffee
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On October 13, 2010, Zheng Xinmiao, curator of the Forbidden City, made a response for the first time to Starbucks' moving out of the Forbidden City.
In January 2007, a CCTV host wrote a blog accusing Starbucks from opening a store in the Forbidden City．He said "the action has impacted Chinese traditional culture", and asked Starbucks to move out of the Forbidden City. The blog had since attracted many attentions and raised heated debates. Many domestic and foreign media had reported on the issue. As a result, in July 2007, Starbucks closed its store in the Forbidden City.
Zheng Xinmiao said during an interview with people.com, "I think, people have connected the Forbidden City with our national pride, culture and history. However, Starbucks is only a place where people drink coffee. In fact Chinese people feel proud of Chinese tea houses opening up in the Louvre Museum of France. It is therefore irrational being angry at the Starbucks opening in the Forbidden City."
Zheng suggested that Chinese people need to be cool-minded and rational towards this kind of issues and also need to have national confidence. "Let me just ask this question: Will Chinese culture be defeated just by a cup of coffee? I don't think so," said Zheng.
(This article was first published in Chinese and translated by Lin Liyao.)
