French tire company founded 1889 in Clermont-Ferrand by the Michelin brothers. The Michelin Guide started in 1900 as a free handbook to encourage motoring (more cars = more tire sales) and gradually became the world's most influential restaurant-rating system. First mainland China guide: Shanghai 2016.
usage
Chinese transliteration: 米 (mǐ) + 其 (qí) + 林 (lín) approximates 'Michelin'. Often appears attributively: 米其林餐厅, 米其林三星, 米其林指南.
