Fast feud after China civil war icon's refuge becomes a McDonalds
Home built on shores of scenic Lake Hangzhou in eastern mainland in 1931 was villa for KMT leader Chiang Kai-Shek's son, and locals aren’t lovin’ it
A villa once occupied by the son of late Taiwanese leader Chiang Kai-shek has been turned into a McDonald’s restaurant, despite strong objections from the public, Chinese media reports.
The villa was built in 1931 on the shores of scenic West Lake in Hangzhou in the eastern province of Zhejiang on the Chinese mainland.
At the time, Chiang Kai-shek’s Kuomintang (KMT) army was locked in a civil war with Mao Zedong’s Communist Party forces.
Chiang’s son, Chiang Ching-kuo, stayed in the villa for about a month in late 1948, just before the KMT lost the war and fled to Taiwan, where they established a new government.
Beijing has regarded the island as a renegade province ever since.
The villa is listed as a cultural heritage site by the Hangzhou government, and in January the lake’s management committee carried out a public consultation on leasing the building out as a McDonald’s, the Beijing Youth Daily reported on Tuesday.
Some residents supported the idea, arguing that the rental income would help cover the building’s substantial maintenance fees. But the majority of the public opposed the plan, saying the villa should be kept as a historical venue.
A public meeting was held, and 90 per cent of those who attended objected to the plan, said Zhou Fuduo, a professor of cultural heritage preservation with Zhejiang University who also participated.
He argued the villa could become a showcase to present the history of the Communist Party and the Kuomintang and a symbolic platform for the peaceful unification of Taiwan.
“We said the social and cultural gains outweighed commercial profits but our opinions were not taken,” Zhou said.
“There is no preservation apart from the main structure of the building and there's little point in turning it into a museum,” the official was quoted as saying.
The official said leasing the villa would bring in money for the upkeep of the building.
It is a common practice on the mainland to rent out the homes of famous historical figures to businesses, but they must agree not to alter the main structure significantly or the facade, or light open fires inside.
Authorities said those restrictions were followed during the renovation period, and the restaurant’s management had to change their plans several times to ensure compliance was met. The restaurant has room for about 100 people.
