Sorry, American imperialists.

No more Double Venti Latte Mochaccinos in the Forbidden City.

A couple excerpts from the Shanghai Daily article say it all:

"The museum is working with Starbucks to find a solution by this June in response to the protests," said spokesman Feng Nai'en.

The official announcement came after thousands of Chinese Netizens backed a campaign by China Central Television anchorman Rui Chenggang to banish the coffee giant from the former imperial palace. Television cameras and newspaper journalists camped outside the coffee shop on Tuesday, interviewing anyone carrying a paper cup emblazoned with the famous green-white-and-black logo as the campaign gathered momentum.

Rui wrote on his CCTV blog that the presence of Starbucks "undermined the Forbidden City's solemnity and trampled over Chinese culture."

Speculation has been building that Starbucks will follow a long line of disgraced eunuchs into exile from the palace as soon as its lease expires.

Disgraced eunuchs. Heheheheh.

Seriously, though, tired feet and caffeine deprivation aside, I can think of few images more disturbing than a Starbucks inside the Forbidden City.

Maybe it's just me. Well, just me on *this* side of the planet....