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| Travel & Resources: BEIJING
Please help us keep these listings current and correct. Special thanks to ioukar, h2008bj, WayneB, stonesurfer, Brunom , camassqueer, alwysredee, lagoon, Demand, stepup16, h2008bj, Robert T., Mark, Michael X., and Daniel! |
The population is is approaching 20 million (that's nearly a million Utopians).
Many locals caution that bars, saunas and parks are filled with "MBs" (moneyboys) on the prowl -- mostly needy men from other provinces -- but less and less so these days.
People here in the capital work hard and so clubs that welcome gays are busiest on Fri and Sat nights, and quiet on weeknights. Mid-week gay Happy Hour venues are listed in our Bars and Clubs section and these locations change frequently. The Internet is the most popular way of finding new friends. Although you may not be able to access the Chinese language QQ system, try Craigslist Beijing (and Utopia's Message Center, of course).
Navigating the local gay scene is easy with our interactive Utopia Map of Gay & Lesbian Beijing:
"Stayed in Beijing October 22-31 and used China Mango for my tour guide. It was one of the best tours I have taken anywhere in the world. Jet is incredibly informative, friendly, helpful with planning visits anywhere in the city and surrounding areas, and speaks excellent English. He tailored the trip to my specifications and also helped me plan dining and shopping options on my own. Perhaps most critically, he is an all around nice guy and a pleasure to spend the day with." -- flyer04, Nov 3, 2010
HAIDIAN
BEIJING -- area code (86-10)
Everyone you meet in Beijing will tell you how much the city has changed in recent years. While not as radical as the space-age transformation of Shanghai, solemn Beijing refurbished its historical and cultural assets along with its infrastructure in advance of the Beijing Olympics. The official "color" of Beijing (gray!) is now splashed with color, and fresh garden landscaping is optimistically employed to combat the pollution and dust. People are happy, as any evening stroll around a hutong (traditional neighborhood) will demonstrate, and there are plenty of shopping opportunities for the middle class in dozens of new mega-mall projects. Beijing is also a foodie heaven with a bounty of fantastic (and cheap) dining opportunities everywhere.
Peking Man
Beijing is bursting with youth, and the abundance of good looking soldiers and policemen is stimulating to say the least. While a lot of fun can be had flirting with friendly locals, Beijing is not a place for abundant nightlife or a quickie holiday romance, "419" in contemporary local gay slang (as in "for one night"). Educated gays tend to socialize in small circles of friends, visiting bars and saunas only occasionally and usually in groups. If you are able to make a local friend, then you'll have an inroad to meeting the single men in their network, although this may take more time than a visitor on vacation will have. Conservative and romantic in his approach to finding the right partner, Peking Man is not inclined to "jump into the river of love" on a whim.
Beijing Gay Scene Updates message forum
Lesbian listings
Men in Beijing message forum
2108 Building B, Xintiandi Plaza, Chaoyang, Utopia Map, 010-6446-5698, email. Small drop-in center providing health education and prevention services. They also have a video and lecture series, the first of its kind in Beijing. Established in 2008.
Beijing Gay, Lesbian, and Allies Discussion is for those belonging to or wishing to support the gay/lesbian/bi/trans community in Beijing. Multicultural and multisexual, their aim is to bring these individuals together in a safe space that is supportive, friendly, and really FUN. They meet every 1st and 3rd Sun of the month in Sanlitun and welcome non-Chinese to join in.
ChinaMango135-5294-9596, email. Gay and lesbian-friendly, professional licensed tour guide from Beijing. Discreet, individual tours for discerning travelers. Day and night tours. Customize a tour for you and your friends at no extra cost. Explore Beijing's best places for eating, shopping and nightlife. Speedy reply with helpful advice and itinerary suggestions.
Utopia Member Discount
Comments from Utopians:
"I had a great evening tour in Beijing with ChinaMango this past Sat night. I was able to book ChinaMango's guide service at short notice, which was lucky. They were very flexible and helpful with planning the things I wanted to do. Thank-you to Jet for being so attentive and flexible as we worked out what to do for the evening. I thoroughly enjoyed the Beijing Opera highlights show and the fabulous Hutong visit afterwards. The visit to a few gay bars to end the evening was interesting, too, though I did not last long at Destinations -- so smoky and my putonghua (standard Chinese) is very limited! But it was a wonderful evening. I certainly recommend ChinaMango's guide services! It was great to experience a bit of Beijing with a friendly local guide who speaks English so well." -- voyageur, Jun 12, 2011
Click here for Beijing hotels and accommodations.
Click here for Beijing bars and clubs.
Click here for Beijing cabarets.
Click here for Beijing discos.
#83 Dong Hua Men St, Dong Cheng Dist (at the intersection corner just east of the East Gate of the Forbidden City), Utopia Map, 133-9188-0427, email. This contemporary fine art gallery specializes in Chinese gay artists and the Chinese male nude subject, as well as a variety of high quality fine and decorative arts. Conveniently located one block east of the Forbidden City in an area full of shops, restaurants and tea houses.
Dongbianmen Watchtower, Chongwen Dist, Utopia Map, 6525-1005, email. Founded in 1991 by Brian Wallace who first arrived in China in 1984, Red Gate Gallery is the first private contemporary art gallery to be established in China. Prior to opening its doors at the 600-year old Ming dynasty watchtower in Dongbienmen, they organize and curate exhibit the best of Chinese contemporary art as well as facilitating cultural exchanges and dialogues between China and the rest of the world. With monthly exhibitions, the gallery showcases painting, works-on-paper, graphics, sculpture, photography and installation by both established artists and emerging talents. Gay-owned.
Utopia Member Discount
Click here for Beijing karaoke.
Click here for Beijing massage and spas for men.
Find the bigger of the two lakes (they are separated by a street). Prime cruising ground is the dark lane south of the facilities, but the whole lake is cruisy.
Comments from Utopians:
"Today I went afternoon and early evening to Mu Dan Yuan. There were some few gays cruising, but not same crowd like before. And if you have a look at all the security cameras around the park, you can imagine that it is not much fun anymore." -- ratte, Mar 26, 2011
OTHER AREASBagou (just outside the south gate of the Summer Palace), Utopia Map, 010-6263-5992. Take the number 10 subway line to the last station, Bagou, and then walk 10 mins northwest to the intersection of the river and 4th Ring Rd at Huoqiying Bridge. For summer months, west Beijing's largest outdoor swimming pool has become a 'must-go' place for locals. They congregate there on one side, especially on Sat afternoons. Just use your gaydar to spot them. The pool has shallow and deep sections, as well as lanes for serious swimmers. Entry is only Y$10, with a deposit for the locker key. Take your own towels, soap, and slippers for the shower afterwards, but only cold water. (special thanks to ChinaMango for the tip!) 巴勾柳浪游泳场
Warnings from Utopians:
"I was robbed in Dongdan Park a few days ago. Dongdan is a definitely No-Go-Area!" -- Lostmyheart, Feb 27, 2011
CHAOYANG
6 Gongti Xi St, Utopia Map, 010-6551-3533. This large and modern restaurant attracts trendy gays as it lies directly across from Destination disco. Beijingers really enjoy the Taiwanese-style desserts on offer here. 鹿港小镇 - 北京市工体西路6号
Dongzhimen Inner St, Utopia Map. From Beixinqiao Subway Station all the way to the 2nd Ring Rd. Red lanterns create a carnival atmosphere for happy local diners who come for heaps of peppered crawfish. Order up as many as you like by size (Y$2, 3, 4 or 5 apiece) and deshell with your fingers for the succulent and tongue-numbing tail meat. Prepare to sweat! As usual, to select the best restaurant, look for a place that is packed with customers. Lots of other delicious side dishes and many menues have English as well as pictures to point to. Or, if you want to try excellent modern Beijing cuisine in a heritage courtyard setting, go to 235 Dongzhimen Inner St where you can dine on a truly incredible contemporary Chinese menu (in English with pictures of wonders like salmon spring roll sprinkled with lime Pop Rocks and, pictured below, chocolate-dipped purple potato sticks with fruit loops!), watch acrobats twirling teapots on a stick and gawp as their award-winning chef creates a "never-ending noodle" choreographed to music! 东直门内大街(簋街)
6 Chinxiu Rd, Taipingzhuang Nanli, Chaoyang Dist, Utopia Map, 6417-4075. This bright, clean and modern eatery not only serves fantastic Peking duck and other local dishes (try the shredded chicken in "Beijing sauce" wrapped in tofu) but the price is very reasonable -- about 1/3 the cost of most duck specialty restaurants. 北京市 朝阳区 春秀路 太平庄南里6号楼 北侧
LW-12 Solana Park, #6 Chaoyang Park Rd, Utopia Map, email, 5905-6213. Walk along the southern edge of the exterior of the Solana shopping complex and follow the walkway all the way to the lake where you will see a neon sign for the "bar street." Lantung is on the edge of the lake, next to Sex in Da City. Their cook is from Chiang Mai. The roof top pavilion and the lake-side seating are both fantastic. 北京市朝阳区 朝阳公园西路 蓝色港湾 LW12
Utopia Member Discount55 Xing Fun Zhong Rd, Jie Zuo Da Sha, Utopia Map, 6417-7022. Gay-owned restaurant and sidewalk café. Delicious, simple, home-cooked Italian fare. Yummy pizza and desserts. 北京市 朝阳区 幸福中路 杰座大厦
FORBIDDEN CITY
95 Donghuamen Ave, Utopia Map, 6526-8883. One of Beijing's first modern fine dining restraurants. Beautiful view of the moat and East Gate of the Forbidden City. Expensive.
G/F Hademen Hotel (opposite the New World Center) and another branch on 3/F of the second phase of the New World Shopping Center (with the ice rink in the atrium), Utopia Map. This is one of the two most famous Beijing roast duck restaurants. The most expensive duck on the menu is cooked inside a pot rather than roasted in the oven and supposedly has a more exquisite flavor. Crispy roasted is cheaper and plenty good. 便宜坊烤鸭店
12 Jia Xin Wenhua St, West Dist, Utopia Map, 6605-9375. Don't let the name fool you, this is one of Beijing's best dumpling restaurants with a menu featuring over 100 types of dumplings, from healthful herb and vegetarian versions to spicy dog meat. The menu is very easy, with both pictures of the ingredients for each and English descriptions.天津市百饺园餐饮连锁有限公司 - 北京西城区新文化街甲12号
Click here for Beijing saunas for men.
OTHER AREAS
268-91 Renmin Rd, FengTai Dist, email. Gay and lesbian-friendly shop providing high quality adult products at the reasonable prices. Baby Blue understands the private nature of such products and guarantees your privacy.
Utopia Member DiscountUtopia Map. South Luogu Lane is a revitalized traditional merchant street running through one of the best preserved hutong (traditional urban housing area) districts in China. New shops, cafés, beer bars and boutiques line this avenue and side streets beg to be explored and reward the intrepid explorer. One of the most enjoyable evening strolls in Beijing. 南锣鼓巷
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