Anyone know where the Beijing nightlife hotspots are? bars, clubs, etc.
Thanks.
Lotus Lane on Qianhai Lake has dozens of bars, clubs, cafes, and restaurants. A little touristy but a lively place. Just don’t sit by the lake on a weekend. They have a 10 drink minimum.
Sanlitun out in the east part of town is one long bar street. At least 2 dozen establishments.
Red Capital Club has a cool bar filled with propoganda era artifacts. You’ll often see Chairman Mao’s wife’s limo parked outside on the street.
On Donganmen Dajie, going west from Wangfujing Dajie (Beijing’s main shopping street), there’s a very slick lounge bar on the left a few blocks before you reach the Forbidden City. Can’t recal the name but you couldn’t miss it. Very nice lounge atmosphere and good service (cool but not snotty or distant like so many places in Beijing that want to be cool).
“thatsbj”? Perhaps they ought to rename their site, I can see the initials easily being misinterpreted… 
Around the universities is a good place to start (eg the west gate of Beida, in the Wudaokou area)
Do you mean Houhai? Because there are alot of nice bars there too, and connected to Hutong where you can go exploring.
Do you mean Houhai? Because there are alot of nice bars there too, and connected to Hutong where you can go exploring.[/quote]
You are correct, sir! It’s right where the two lakes meet.
I’ll be going there in a couple of weeks. I was googling for travel advisories for Beijing but couldn’t find anything relevant. Anyone have a site to recommend up to date travel advisories? Basically, bird flu stuff etc.
Also, I’ll be staying in the Haidian District and around Tsinghua University. Can anyone recommend something around those parts?
TIA,
Anyone know if Chunghwa Telecom mobile service works in Beijing?
I assume I can rent a mobile from the airport if needed?
TIA
I imagine renting a mobile at the airport wouldn’t be a problem, but any mobile from Taiwan works well in China. I spent weeks in beijing with a Taiwan Dageda mobile, never any problem.
As to nightlife, if you want the Haidian-Tsinghua area, roughly northwest beijing, i guess gcat’s suggestion of Wudaokou is the right place for you, but don’t know the area really.
One area not mentioned yet - but slightly out of the way for you - is the Workers Stadium (Gongti) hood, it has everything: small pubs, upscale bars (Alfa), megadiscos (Mix, Babyface …), foreign restaurants …
Thanks much enzo+ 
I made it fine, a breeze through. Now, all that haze, fog or whatever… :eh:
Nice to have cold and winter season 
[quote=“Yellow Cartman”]I made it fine, a breeze through. Now, all that haze, fog or whatever… :eh:
Nice to have cold and winter season [/quote]Have a great time!
(You may want to avoid eating the barbequed giant cockroaches that my brother tried in Beijing. 
)
Beijing is nice. I really quite like it. But it’s pretty damn cold
It’s cold already? Wow. I was planning to go in January for my birthday but declined when I saw the temperatures.
Anyone have any recommendations for MUST SEE or MUST DO in Beijing?
I’m going at the end of this month for about 5 days. My first time. We’re leaving our child in Taiwan. Of course we’ll see the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Tiannamen Square and hope to eat some good Beijing Duck. Anything else we shouldn’t miss?
The Summer Palace is pretty cool.
The Foreign quarter behind the Friendship Hotel is interesting to walk through.
There was a really cool bookstore but for the life of me I can’t remember where it is. Sorry(it has been 18 years).
I was there in August doing research for a hotel directory. Where are you guys staying?
Things to do: rent a bike and ride around the old hutong back alleys. Beijing is flat as a pancake so riding is a breeze.
Foprbidden City of course but also continue north to Jinshan Park so you can get a bird’s eye view of the park. Your wife will know some of the stories from the park and will probably like to see the tree that one of the emperors hung himself on.
There are a few exhibits within the FC showcasing Chinese arts and antiquities. Most are inferior to what you see in Taiwan. The KMT really did take all the best pieces.
Lao She Tea and Opera House is great. The teahouse provides indoor private rooms with cushy traditional furnishings centers around a private brick courtyard. Very high end version of a traditional teahouse. Also, for sale in the house are these huge pu-er tea blocks with classical scenes pressed into them. It’s like low relief on a block of tea. Cool.
The 10th Floor Palace View Bar in the Grand Hotel Beijing. A fantastic view over the forbidden city. Go before sunset. Watered down drinks though so stick with beer.
The Summer Palace. Here’s a hint. They don’t force you to leave when the gates shut around 5 or 6. Both times I went I stayed to watch the sun set and then sat by the lake and had a beer till around 8. Very peaceful and quiet. No other bignoses around. It may be difficult to get a cab though if you stay too late.
Red Capital Club. A bar/restaurant in an old courtyard filled with a kitchsy communist propaganda era theme.
Lotus Lane on Qianhai Lake. Dozens of classy and trendy cafes and bars along the lakefront. Very re nao at night.
Panjiayuan Market. Most famous market in Beijing. Supposedly one of the best in Asia. Great for souvenirs, arts and crafts, and nicknacks.
Zhaoyuange. A tiny shop selling hand-made painted kites. Fantastic creations. Your little girl will love them. My 2 year old niece sure did.
Liulichang dajie. Beautifully restored old street. Looks like a setting from a movie. Great for shopping for Chinese stuff.
Don’t go to the Imperial Cuisine restaurants. The food is subpar and not worth the price. Not a single table finished their food the night we were there and I have heard lots of bad things. It’s a touristy rip off.
The Museum of Chinese History is dull. And if they have the Zheng He exhibit on still do miss it. It’s just pictures and driftwood.
The Temple of Heaven is not that interesting unless you are really into Chinese thought. If you are pressed for time I would skip it for an old street or something else.
When you walk to Tianamen Square, go through Changpu River Park. It’s a recently restored park and features a lovely bricked walkway beside a long classically designed moat. I went out of my way to stroll through here as often as I could.
Summer Palace (Yi He Yuan) as mentioned before. I find it more enjoyable in some ways to the impersonal feeling of the Forbidden City.
For the Great Wall then I would suggest avoiding the popular Badaling (unless you want to do the Ming Tombs en route there). Instead go for Simatai (should be able to get a minibus from the Dongzhimen bus station). Simatai is further away and hopefully still has alot less tourists. Haven’t been there since 98 though so not sure. Maybe the more adventurous tourists head evern further away from Beijing now to avoid the crowds. But even if crowded I’m sure you will find the views at Simatai magnificent. You need to do some fairly serious climbing though - hands and legs scrambling if you want to reach the very last couple of towers.
These next too are hardly must sees, but they are things I nearly didn’t bother with but ended up finding worthwhile.
If you are really into history then consider the original summer palace (Yuan Ming Yuan). Not much to see as it was destroyed by the 8 power army and I think most of the ruins were carted away by locals for use as building materials. Most of what is on the site now is a fairly standard Chinese park. But there are enough slabs of the original building lying around to make a visit worthwhile. The interesting thing is that the buildings were a Chinese immitation of western architecture (a sort of Versailles copy) and so quite different to any other Chinese stuff of the time.
There is an interesting little museum devoted to the artist that painted all those galloping horses (you see rip offs of his work in lots of restaurants). Can’t remember his name. From memory the museum wasn’t too far from the Confucious temple, but can’t say for sure. He studied art in Europe and it was interesting to compare the stuff he painted while in Europe with his more traditional Chinese.
If you want a belgian beer then drop by Hidden Tree in the Sanlitun South bar street. They have a good selection.
Wow, you guys are fantastic. Thanks a lot.
Where are we staying? Ordinarily I plan our vacation itineraries and book accomodations, but this time my wife booked us at the hotel recommended by her friends. I believe she booked it quickly to beat me to it and avoid debating on the subject. She says it’s very close to Tianamen Square. I’m trying to get the name from her so I can check it out myself as I, to be honest ( 
), trust foreigner travel recommendations more than I trust Taiwanese recommendations.