China not lovin’ plan for McDonald’s on famed West Lake

U.S. fast food giant McDonald’s has served up a super-sized order of controversy by proposing a branch in a historic building in one of China’s most frequently painted landscapes, Hangzhou’s West Lake. The government agency that manages the lake and its surroundings this week posted a proposal to allow a McDonald’s into the former home of the late Taiwanese leader Chiang Ching-kuo, the son of Kuomintang chief Chiang Kai-shek. The plan described the outlet as a coffee shop, suggesting a McCafe. It will have 100 seats in a building with an area of 335 square metres and serve French fries among other items, the proposal said.

In the future, will Uncle McDonald (Ronald McDonald) with a head of red hair, a big smile on his face, be sitting on a bench just metres away from the Broken Bridge?

A commentary of the Qianjiang Evening News newspaper

West Lake is celebrated in Chinese tradition, notably by poet Su Shi of the Song Dynasty from 960 to 1279, who compared the body of water to a beautiful woman. The thought of the Golden Arches finding a spot among its stone causeways, tree-lined paths, and placid island-dotted waters triggered fury. Chinese have previously opposed what they perceive as symbols of foreign consumerism encroaching on cultural sites. The local government is now seeking public opinion on the proposal.

Asia-Pacific