A girl orders food at a café opened outside the Palace Museum's Shenwu Men, or the Gate of Divine Might in Beijing on December 1, 2018. Named “Café by The Forbidden City”, the coffee shop in the theme of imperial China enables their customers to enjoy a wide range of drinks while experiencing ancient Chinese culture. (Photo: China News Service/ Du Yang)
A new café opened at Beijing's Palace Museum on Saturday.
Located outside the museum's Shenwu Gate, Café By the Forbidden City takes décor cues from the famed museum, with replicas of art and antique furniture featured throughout.
The café also provides drinks and desserts with imperial names such as "Emperor Kangxi's Favorite Chocolate."
"Compared with the coffee I usually drink, this was an interesting experience for me," a visitor told Pear Video.
This is not the first café to open shop in the Palace Museum. In 2000, Starbucks famously brought the brand to the Forbidden City to much controversy.
The chain finally pulled out in 2007 following a campaign sparked by former China Central Television host Rui Chenggang, who criticized Starbucks' presence in the museum and the commercialization of what was a Chinese cultural symbol.
