In this still picture taken from the KFC commercial, an old Taoist and his followers enjoy KFC chicken burgers.

    The backdrop and the old Taoist' s clothing simulate a scene from the movie Seven Swords.

    Originally written by Liang Yusheng, Seven Swords is a work of fiction based on actual historical events and is highly regarded among the Chinese community.

KFC is denounced for dishonoring Chinese culture.

    In fact, it's not the first time that the fast food chain has imitated scenes from Seven Swords in its television advertisements.

    Yin Cheng'an, a leading Taoist in the Beijing Baiyun Taoist Temple, said that the old Taoist Fu Qingzhu in the fiction Seven Swords is a real historical figure, and that it is ridiculous to have Fu recommend chicken burgers because he and most Taoists are vegetarian and the faith dictates killing animals is wrong.

    Fu was a national hero who defended ethnic groups from invasion in central China during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. How Fu is portrayed in the commercial is deemed unacceptable not only by the Taoist community but also many Chinese.

    On the other hand, some people speak highly of the advertisement's ideas, advocating it successfully followed the popular film and successfully promotes the new burger among youngsters.

    The controversy has raised concerns that Chinese culture will be further undermined if phenomena like this are not changed.

    "In cultural exchanges between China and the western countries, the latter always appears in a dominant position, and our culture and traditions are not given full respect," Han Yunbo, a professor of the Southwest University Literature Department, told the China Business Post.

    "This event tells us to better protect our traditions and to keep them pure against tacky reconstructions," he added.

(Source: chinadaily.com.cn)