Flat Earth: Mao rolls over as B B rocks Peking

MAO, like Beethoven, was probably rolling over last night, as bluesmeister B B King took the stage in Peking to open the newest Hard Rock Cafe. The 30ft-long guitar-shaped bar, while no match for the Great Wall, was none the less awe-inspiring. And as in Hard Rocks the world over, the walls were laden with rock 'n' roll memorabilia, including 'Michael Jackson's Most Talked About Sequined Glove' and 'The Famous Elton John Glasses and Portable Keyboards'.

Startled drivers on Peking's Third Ring Road did not even have to enter the premises to savour the atmosphere. Some narrowly missed crashing their vehicles when the 1969 red Cadillac suspended above the entrance hove into view. And the 200 Chinese employees have had their English skills honed to cope with fajitas, buffalo wings and hot fudge brownies.