Forbidden City Gets Starbucks to Go

Some buildings work, some don't, but overall vibe among residents is a good one

(NEWSER) - Some of the world’s most adventurous architects have found a gung-ho partner in Beijing, the most noticable payoff being the soon-to-be completed CCTV headquarters—"a dazzling reinvention of the skyscraper," writes Paul Goldberger in the New Yorker. Other creations, such as an ovoid peforming arts center dismissed as "the egg" by residents, come off as "silly and cumbersome," but such risks are worth it. More»

(NEWSER) - Armed ballerinas and a song by former Chinese president Jiang Zemin today celebrate the opening of Beijing's controversial National Grand Theater, a $360 million modern arts complex built in the shadow of the Forbidden City. The Red Detachment of Women, however, is a traditional touch—it's one of eight plays permitted under the watchful eye of Mao's wife, reports the Guardian. More»

Beijing—respectfully—forbids Starbucks in Forbidden City

(NEWSER) - Starbucks has closed its outlet in Beijing's Forbidden City after seven years of controversy. The coffee shop had become a symbol for the intrusion of foreign culture in China's heritage, culminating in protests and government intervention. "It was a very congenial decision," a Starbucks official said. "We respect what they are doing." More»

Expert calls new data 'surprising'

(NEWSER) - The Chinese government, under fire from its citizens about its unbelievably upbeat pollution reports , has started to release more detailed data about smog in Beijing, reports the AP . For the first time, Beijing's official weather website yesterday included readings about PM2.5, or particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers in size—extra-small particles that are considered more dangerous. So far, though—surprise, surprise—the new readings have been good, with data one expert called "surprisingly low." More»

Angry crowd is told 4S sale canceled

(NEWSER) - If notorious perfectionist Steve Jobs was still alive, today's bungled launch of the iPhone 4S in Beijing might have given him a heart attack. Would-be customers who waited all night in freezing temperatures became furious when Apple's flagship Beijing store abruptly announced that the phone would not go on sale as scheduled, AP reports. Police cordoned off the store after the angry crowd pelted it with eggs. More»