Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
JAZZ
East Shore Live Jazz Café
东岸咖啡
, dōng'àn kāfēi 2F 2 Qianhai Nanyanlu 010
formance time, this has live shows Thurs to Sun.
Daily 3pm-2am.
MAINSTREAM
Workers' Stadium
工人体育场
, gōngrén tǐyùchǎng Off Gongti Beilu 010 65016655,
gongti.com.cn
;
Dongsishitiao (line 2) or Dongdaqiao subway (line 6);
map
.
This is where
giant gigs are staged, mostly featuring Chinese pop stars, though the likes of Björk have also
played here (though, given her views on Tibet, that'll never happen again).
GAY BEIJING
Official attitudes towards homosexuality have softened in China - it's been removed from
the official list of psychiatric disorders and is no longer a national crime - and in cosmopol-
itan Beijing, pink power has a big influence on fashion and the media. Bars for the
tongzhi
(literally, comrades) are no longer required to hand out pamphlets urging clients to go home
to their wives but there are still few dedicated gay or lesbian venues; some “regular” places
do, however, have dedicated gay nights. As well as the places listed here, the classy lounge
bar
Mesh
hosts gay nights every Thursday.
Alfa
Opposite North Gate of Workers' Stadium 010 64130086; Dongsishitiao subway (line
nights; keep an eye on the city
listings magazines
for details. It's free to get into the bar area
(which makes surprisingly good food); for the dancefloor you'll have to cough up an extra
￥
30.
Daily 8pm-late.
Destination 7
Gongti Xilu 010 65528180,
bjdestination.com
;
Dongsishitiao subway
naked men (mainly local), as well as women who'd rather avoid non-gay fellas for the night.
Entry
￥
60.
Daily 8pm-late.
This cafe's walls are lined with framed LP covers, and the artists in question (who on earth
were
Spanky and Our Gang
?) betray the intended clientele even more than the rainbow flag
out front. It's a relaxed place for coffee by day and beers of an evening.
Daily 24hr.
