The Power of the Blog

Some Chinese news anchorman, used his blog to get Starbucks out of the Forbidden City.

Starbucks. Forbidden in the Forbidden City.

click it.

From now on, though, Rui Chenggang will be known as the man who drove the baristas out of the Forbidden City.

Seven months ago, Rui, an anchor for the state-run China Central Television, complained on his blog that the presence of a Starbucks had "undermined the Forbidden City's solemnity and trampled over Chinese culture."

It was as if he had opened the valve on an espresso machine. Reaction from Chinese readers poured forth, hissing and full of steam. Many people, it seemed, were offended by the presence of a shop selling half-caf mocha frapuccinos in the most hallowed spot in China, where 24 emperors had ruled in almost unimaginable grandeur for nearly 500 years. By the next day, Rui says, the item had been read by half a million people and generated "thousands, if not tens of thousands," of e-mail responses.

On Friday, under pressure from the government, the Seattle-based company closed its small shop inside the Forbidden City, having rejected an offer to continue selling Starbucks coffee under the Forbidden City brand.

(click on quoted text for full article)

you're the man Rui.

Source: LA TIMES