Entertainment in China
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A
TakeOut Comedy Club
If your idea of a perfect evening involves laughing, Hong Kong’s first comedy club will blow your socks off with consistent stand-up and improvised acts in English, Cantonese and Mandarin.
reviewed
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B
Punchline Comedy Club
A veteran on the scene, the Punchline hosts local and imported acts every third Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 9pm to 11pm. Entry costs around $300. Book tickets online or call.
reviewed
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C
Tiānqiáo Acrobatics Theatre
West of the Temple of Heaven, this is one of Běijīng's most popular venues. The entrance is down the eastern side of the building.
reviewed
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D
Bar 109
Tired of rubbing, er, shoulders with working girls in the Wanch? Well, even if not, the 109 will give you 110 reasons to flock here. It’s a serious chill-out zone cobbled from a 1920s-vintage bakery and divided into three sections, including a bar, a covered ‘outside’ area and a 1st-floor balcony.
reviewed
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E
Night market
This veritable marvel and phenomenon alone justifies trips to Kāifēng, especially at weekends. Join the scrums weaving between stalls busy with hollering Hui Muslim chefs cooking up kebabs and náng bread, red-faced popcorn sellers and vendors of shāo bing sesame-seed cakes, cured meats, foul-smelling chòu gānzi (臭干子; dry strips of doufu), sweet potatoes, crab kebabs, sugar-coated pears and Thai scented cakes. Pass on the yāxuě tāng (鸭血汤; duck blood soup) if you insist.
Among the flames jetting from ovens and steam rising in clouds prance the hearty vendors of xìngrén chá (杏仁茶; almond tea). A sugary sauce (the consistency of wallpaper paste) made…
reviewed
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Naxi Orchestra
One of the few things you can do in the evening in Lìjiāng is attend performances of this orchestra inside a beautiful building in the old town. Not only are all two dozen or so members Naxi, but they play a type of Taoist temple music (known as dòngjīng) that has been lost elsewhere in China. The pieces they perform are said to be faithful renditions of music from the Han, Song and Tang dynasties, and are played on original instruments. Local historian of note Xuan Ke often speaks for the group at performances.
reviewed
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F
Vics
Vics is not the most sophisticated nightclub. Nevertheless, it has remained a favourite with the young crowd for many years now, which makes it some sort of institution. The tunes are mostly standard R&B and hip-hop, there’s an infamous ladies night on Wednesdays (free drinks for women before midnight), and weekends see it rammed with the footloose and fancy free. If you can’t score here, you should give up trying. Entry is free from Monday to Thursday; located inside the Workers Stadium north gate.
reviewed
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G
Grand Lisboa Casino
Connected to its little sister (Lisboa Casino) by a footbridge is the plush Grand Lisboa, with its glowing golden-bulb exterior and a truly kitsch flaming-torch-shaped towering structure that has become the landmark by which people navigate the peninsula streets. The Crazy Paris Cabaret is also held here.
reviewed
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H
Sasha’s
Housed in a fine old villa that once belonged to the Soong family, Sasha’s large garden is one of Shànghǎi’s most splendid summer spots. Inside there’s a vague French colonial feel with wicker furniture, wood floors and a cosy bar to perch at. Upstairs there’s an expensive restaurant offering Western food. Given the prices here, it’s worth checking out the happy hour, from 5.30pm to 7pm, when all drinks are half-price.
reviewed
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I
Líyuán Theatre
Tourist-friendly theatre at the rear of the lobby of the Qiánmén Jiànguó Hotel, with regular performances, matinée kung fu shows and expensive tea ceremony options.
reviewed
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J
Makye Amye
The past is tastier than the present at this watering hole overlooking the Barkhor. If the stories are to be believed, this was once a drinking haunt of the licentious sixth Dalai Lama, who met the famed Tibetan beauty Makye Amye here and composed a famous poem about her. Tour groups and Chinese tourists are drawn to the views of the Barkhor from the window tables and fine rooftop terrace but the food is just so-so.
reviewed
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K
Club 71
This friendly bar, named after the huge protest march held in 2003, is a haven for artists, activists and bohemians. In an uncanny historical coincidence, the garden in front of the bar is the site where a group of Chinese revolutionaries used to hang out in the early 20th century to plot their campaign to overthrow the Qing dynasty. The socially conscious keep coming back. Find it by taking a sharp right down a narrow alley off Hollywood Rd or via a small footpath running west off Peel St.
reviewed
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L
East End Brewery
This place out in Quarry Bay is a beer lover’s must-visit. You can choose from more than 30 beers and lagers from around the world, including a couple of local microbrews. There’s wi-fi access, too. The branch at Causeway Bay (Ground fl, Sunning Plaza, 10 Hysan Ave) serves up much the same beer and fodder if you can’t make it this far out.
reviewed
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M
Lush
Whether they’re quaffing coffee or slamming beers, Chinese and foreign students camp out here around the clock. Lush also hosts events every night, from movies on Monday and live bands on Friday, to a wildly popular open-mic night on Sunday, making it one of the epicentres of Wudaokou life. Happy hour runs from 6pm to 10pm.
reviewed
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N
Zaia
Cirque du Soleil has already put up its big top in the Venetian, ushering in the next big entertainment scene in Macau (apart from gambling, of course). Zaia, the nightly resident show, is a spectacular mix of high-wire acrobatics and choreographed dances. Up to 40% discounts for tickets are often available.
reviewed
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O
Wilber’s
Wilber's is a gem that is hidden down an alley in a historical villa. It has something for everyone: the patio is popular with ladies looking for a quiet natter, indoors is a gay-friendly drinking den, and upstairs is a fine-dining restaurant. It serves the best martinis and margaritas in town.
reviewed
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P
38
The latest incarnation of the famous Crystal Club, this bar sits atop the hotel tower with a terrific outdoor terrace that offers spectacular vistas of the harbour and Macau Peninsula. Combine this with its extensive wines and whisky selection and you get one of the best drinking haunts on Taipa.
reviewed
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Q
McSorley’s Ale House
This cosy tavern-style watering hole in the Venetian is a genial spot that attracts rugby and soccer fanatics watching footy on the telly with its live-satellite broadcasts of European matches. The selection of imported beers and pub grub is extensive and reasonably priced.
reviewed
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R
Whisky Bar
High up in the glitzy new StarWorld hotel and casino, this modern bar offers grand vistas across the peninsula to the Guia Lighthouse, plus a Filipino covers band and a lively atmosphere, but it must be said, not much of a whisky menu. Get a window seat.
reviewed
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S
China Beach Club
This pleasant bar-restaurant has a 185-sq-metre rooftop and an open-air balcony overlooking Silvermine Bay Beach. Staff are friendly and helpful, and the food is good as well. The two-for-one cocktail 'hour' can go on well into the night.
reviewed
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T
MGM Grand Casino
This MGM Grand is much smaller than its mother in Vegas, but its gentility and modern design with innovative lighting make it a casino with taste and class. It’s more for unruffled high-rollers, meaning it has a more relaxing atmosphere.
reviewed
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U
Neptune Disco II
Neptune II is a fun club with a mostly Filipino crowd and a rockin' covers band. If everything's closing and you can't bear to stop bopping, this is the place to head for. It really rocks at the Sunday afternoon-tea dance starting at 14:00.
reviewed
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Deck ‘N Beer
Offering exactly what it promises on its neon sign, this excellent new bar with no theme or fuss offers a deck, drinks including a good range of bottled beers and not much else – oh, apart from those spectacular waterfront views.
reviewed
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V
Mp3
With live shows and music, plus the unbeatable all-you-can-drink at around MOP$100 during happy hour, this has become a popular spot along the strip. DJs spin all kinds of music while drag queens and pose dancers dazzle your eyes.
reviewed
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W
Old Taipa Tavern
Known as ‘OTT’, its location near the Pak Tai Temple at Taipa Village makes this delightful bar a sublime spot to watch the comings and goings in the centre of the village. A wonderful live band plays on Saturday.
reviewed