China: Fancy a Big Mac in Chiang Kai-shek's house?

01:12

China: Fancy a Big Mac in Chiang Kai-shek's house?

China, Hangzhou

November 19, 2015 at 06:54 GMT +00:00 · Published

The former home of Chiang Kai-shek, the former leader of pre-communist China and his son Chiang Ching-kuo, a former leader of Taiwan, has been transformed into a McDonald's restaurant, opening to customers in Hangzhou, Thursday. The move has provoked widespread controversy across China due to what many believe is an act of commercialisation in a heritage site.

McDonald's moved into the address in the Zhejiang province of China last Friday after local authorities decided to rent out the villa, which is officially listed as a heritage site. A Starbucks is also located on the side wing of the wood and brick villa.

Critics have hit out at McDonald's for desecrating a national heritage site, but supporters claim that as the American fast-food company has maintained the site and original Chinese style, it has embellished the site as an attraction for tourists.

The site located in Hangzhou's West Lake area, was allegedly used by both Chiang Kai-shek and his eldest son Chiang Ching-kuo before they both fled the Chinese mainland in 1949 following the defeat of the Kuomintang government by the Chinese Communist Party. The family reportedly owned the building from 1931 up to their point of departure.

China: Fancy a Big Mac in Chiang Kai-shek's house?

01:12

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The former home of Chiang Kai-shek, the former leader of pre-communist China and his son Chiang Ching-kuo, a former leader of Taiwan, has been transformed into a McDonald's restaurant, opening to customers in Hangzhou, Thursday. The move has provoked widespread controversy across China due to what many believe is an act of commercialisation in a heritage site.

McDonald's moved into the address in the Zhejiang province of China last Friday after local authorities decided to rent out the villa, which is officially listed as a heritage site. A Starbucks is also located on the side wing of the wood and brick villa.

Critics have hit out at McDonald's for desecrating a national heritage site, but supporters claim that as the American fast-food company has maintained the site and original Chinese style, it has embellished the site as an attraction for tourists.

The site located in Hangzhou's West Lake area, was allegedly used by both Chiang Kai-shek and his eldest son Chiang Ching-kuo before they both fled the Chinese mainland in 1949 following the defeat of the Kuomintang government by the Chinese Communist Party. The family reportedly owned the building from 1931 up to their point of departure.

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