Are McDonald’s and Starbucks Preserving China’s Cultural History?

Last January, in the city of Hangzhou in eastern China, a proposal was made about a villa once lived in by a former leader of Taiwan that's now listed as a cultural heritage site. It was suggested that it should reopen to the public with a new feature: the Golden Arches.

Found next to the popular Broken Bridge tourist spot in the city's beautiful West Lake area, the 1931 building earmarked to house a new McDonald's was once home to Chiang Ching-kuo, the son of Chiang Kai-shek. At the time of Chiang Ching-kou's residence in the building in 1948, Chiang senior's Kuomintang (KMT) army was locked in the Chinese Civil War against Mao Zedong's Communist forces. Chiang Chiang-kuo went on to become leader of Taiwan, considered a renegade state by Beijing, in 1978.

"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?" the Qianjiang Evening News asked. The answer was yes, metaphorically at least: earlier this month, the US fast food giant opened its latest China branch there. Now information boards next to tables laden with McCafe mugs explain the building's history.

State media's reporting of the opening has sparked debate among netizens about whether Ronald's presence in the area, in addition to a branch of Starbucks that opened above the McDonald's in September, is appropriate.

Prior to this, local residents had their say and were roundly ignored. The Beijing Youth Daily reported on a public meeting at which around 90 percent of attendees said they opposed the opening. Zhou Fuduo, professor of cultural heritage preservation at Zhejiang University, was at the meeting and was quoted as saying that the building should be kept as a historical showcase rather than a burger joint. "We said the social and cultural gains outweighed commercial profits but our opinions were not taken," he said.

The Zhejiang Government Agency Affairs Bureau, which owns the building and had reportedly failed to rent it out for years, saw things differently. They pointed out that Chiang was only at the building for a short time. Chiang's grandson, Demos Chiang, wrote on social media: "I don't understand, opening a McDonald's in the villa … how exactly does that adhere to regulations on correct usage of cultural heritage sites?"

An unnamed member of the government agency was quoted as saying: "Chiang Ching-kuo stayed in this home too briefly and what is left is just the main structure, the interiors, look nothing like they used to when the Chiang family was here … there is not much point in turning it into a museum."

The angle of McDonald's on the whole kerfuffle is that their presence on the site will help preserve it. The company gave a statement to MUNCHIES: "McDonald's has the deepest respect for the heritage and culture of the communities where we operate; we are part of these communities.

"When McDonald's China took over the site, we also took over the commitment to preserve its heritage. Since then, we have been working with relevant authorities and architects to ensure the conservation of the villa's structure and style. We remain committed to its protection while providing a convenient spot for tourists to rest and enjoy the surrounding environment."

Starbucks didn't address questions about the preservation debate, but gave MUNCHIES the following statement: "Starbucks opened our store at Broken Bridge in September to serve our customers visiting the West Lake scenic district of Hangzhou. This site has been approved for commercial use and we were granted the necessary government permits and licenses to operate within the premises. We are very grateful and proud to be part of the local communities in which we operate and have a deep respect for China's cultural and historical heritage."

People's Daily, the official newspaper of the China Communist Party, reported that the openings had "stirred concerns about the protection of historical sites among netizens."

"Is it a necessity to look at Chiang's history by burning incense?" one commenter wrote. "This is sustainable development. I will go to the restaurant. The location and environment are good." Another wrote: "It's OK to do this as a way of preserving the cultural relics while making full use of the building. This is better than forceful demolition by developers."

The new Hangzhou Mac D's venue is not the only historical Chinese area to be turned into a nugget dispenser. There are many such examples across the country, including a branch in Beijing's central Forbidden City area, which is China's top tourist attraction. Starbucks, meanwhile, had their Forbidden City branch closed in 2007 following a huge online campaign.

That closure suggested that there are many in China who do not want to see US companies supposedly steamrolling through their country's heritage. Yet overall there is far less anti-corporate sentiment in China than there is in the West.

McDonald's prices in China make their goods comparable to cheap local food in terms of cost. Starbucks' China prices, however, are closer to those in the West, making their drinks premium products often used to show off social standing. Little surprise, then, that Chinese coffee shop chains have been successfully sued for brazenly ripping off the Starbucks logo and brand identity.

Down at the Broken Bridge McDonald's and Starbucks branches today, though, no such issues were being debated; there was just a steady flow of tourists taking smartphone snaps of the info boards as they sipped lattes. Massive "M" logo aside, you have to say that the building has hardly been turned into an eyesore. It is tastefully preserved and hard to argue that it'd be better off crumbling and unused, with no organisation taking an interest in its upkeep.

So, McDonald's and Starbucks: the saviours of cultural heritage in China? Not quite, perhaps. But this is hardly strapping McFlurry-laden trays around the necks of the Xi'an Terracotta Warriors and daubing their faces with Ronald McDonald lipstick, is it?