Chinese hotel accused of flying Japanese military flag issues apology
The hotel, located across the street from a local police precinct in Anyang city, hastily withdrew the flag after criticism flooded Weibo on Friday
A hotel in China’s central Henan province was forced to apologise after angry net users accused it of flying a banner resembling the "Rising Sun Flag" used by the Japanese army when they invaded China during the Second World War.
The hotel, sitting across the street from a local police precinct in Anyang city, hastily dismantled the flag on Friday after criticism flooded China's blogosphere.
A spokesperson explained that the controversial piece of cloth was meant to dispel evil spirits and bring good fortune for the recently-opened business. The hotel had adopted advice to display the flag from a feng-shui master following the sudden death of a shareholder prior to its grand opening in August, he said.
And despite the resemblance, the hotel also pointed out that their "good luck banner" had a yellow background, instead of the white used in the Japanese flag.
Qin Yongmin, a Beijing-based lawyer told the Beijing Times that the hotel had violated advertising laws by promoting a message that “compromises the country’s reputation and hurts the nation’s feelings”.