Entertainment in China
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A
Take Out Comedy Club
Consistent stand-up and improv acts (in Cantonese and English) bring in the punters to this basement venue established by Chinese-American stand-up Jami Gong.
reviewed
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B
Punchline Comedy Club
A veteran on the scene – in fact the only regular comedy venue for many years – the Punchline Comedy Club hosts local and imported acts every third Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 9pm to 11pm. Entry costs around $300.
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 fr…
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. The interior ventilation works much better than Lisboa Casino and people are gaming with slightly more manners here. The famous Crazy Paris Cabaret, featuring a multitude of leggy women onstage strutting around in a couple of beads and a feather, 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
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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J
Club 71
This friendly place occupying a quiet, tucked-away alley north of Hollywood Rd is named after the huge protest march held on 1 July 2003. It’s a quiet spot with a pleasant little terrace, ideal for some low-key beers among its left-field customers. 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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K
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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L
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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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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M
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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N
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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O
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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P
New Wally Matt Lounge
The name comes from the old Waltzing Matilda pub, which was one of the daggiest gay watering holes in creation. But New Wally Matt is an upbeat and busy place and actually more a pub than a lounge.
reviewed
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Nanshan Lu
Over the past several years, the bar scene in Hángzhōu has mushroomed. The most popular bar strip is along Nanshan Lu , near the Academy of Art. Head off and see what you can uncover.
reviewed
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Q
Pirates Pub
Serves up the ingenious combination of pirates and disco. Local bands start playing most nights at 21:00 but the mutiny doesn't happen until 23:00. Look for three ship's sails.
reviewed
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R
Propaganda
Long-serving Wǔdàokǒu nightclub attracting throngs of liúxuéshēng (students), lured by free entry, cheap booze and wildly popular sounds. It's 100m north of Huáqīng Jiāyuán east gate.
reviewed
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S
Big Bamboo
This is a huge, extroverted sports bar ranging over two floors with a mammoth sports screen backed up by a constellation of TV sets, Guinness, pool and darts.
reviewed
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T
Rice Bar
Rice is a popular gay bar in Sheung Wan with a lounge area that sees a bit of dancing as it gets later. It can get very crowded at the weekend.
reviewed
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U
Venetian
Occupying the Cotai Strip, this ersatz Doge's Palace is a minimalist's nightmare – a vast hotel, gambling and shopping city within a city, that recreates Venetian icons, right down to the canals and singing gondoliers.
reviewed
