It is evident everywhere just how cosmopolitan Shanghai was in the past and has become once again. Tree-lined boulevards and ornately designed merchant shop fronts are testament to its former prosperity and its hopeful future.
This is a city of contrasts--sleek skyscrapers rise next to dusty shophouses hoisting laundry out their windows; McDonalds, Pizza Hut and KFC have sprouted up on every block; peddle carts ply traditional sweets on the sidewalk in front of Cartier. Shanghai startles in its manic modernism. Neon-splashed Huai Hai Rd sports trend-setting world-class department stores, mega-restaurants, cathedral-sized banks and gleaming Metro stops. People's Park, with it's showcase museums, is a good spot to view the city's spaceport skyline, straight out of The Jetsons.
Shanghai appears to be run by youth, staffed by youth, and patronized by youth. The population now exceeds 20 million (that's about 800,000 Utopians). Nearly every gay you meet in China says they want to live here. The nightlife is constantly reinventing itself, but several venues have found consistent patronage from young, professional locals and expats. Shanghai has come to rival Hong Kong as the gay center of China as the winds of freedom continue to blow.
Take a peak at Shanghai's gay and lesbian scene...
Warnings from Utopians:
"My partner and I have just returned from 3 days in Shanghai. It was an interesting experience on lots of levels. Gardens, streets and restaurants were great and we spent hours wandering about being amazed by the buildings and street life. However being two white guys made us prime targets. As soon as we left our hotel on Nanjing Rd people would descend upon us, almost tripping over themselves to get to us. It all became exhausting! Guys constantly selling watches, lady bars and beer; women pawing us to go to massage bars. Once, around midnight, two guys (quite cute, knowledgeable and speaking excellent English) asked if we wanted to go to a gay bar. We were intrigued and when they said that they could give us each a sexy massage we should have heard the alarm bells. They took us to a coffee shop and lead us into a room with couches and a table. We ordered drinks: a beer, a bottle of water and two soft drinks for the guys. Later food was brought in: watermelon slices and a packet of peanuts. It suddenly got heated when we said that it was enough and we wanted to get out of the place. A woman barged into the room and demanded Y$840 for room hire, drinks and food. Whilst we have traveled through Asia quite a bit (and live in Hong Kong) we have never experienced a situation like this. It was scary for a while, as it did get rather aggressive. The moral of the story is: don't get seduced by guys on the street!" -- byronski, Jul 8, 2006
Homosexuality is not illegal in China; scams like the ones mentioned above are. If something similar happens to you, go right to the police to enlist their aid.
The Utopia Guide to China (2nd Edition) is an expanded and updated guidebook to the gay and lesbian scene in 50 Chinese cities including Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. Included are bars, discos, spas, and restaurants. Enjoy hundreds of savvy comments and recommendations from local Utopians and travelers. Click here to order
1950 Huaihai Rd, No. 4 (by Xingguo Rd, inside Shanghai Studio), 6294-6880, email. A place for the boys to shop, set in a cool underground studio space. MANifesto is Shanghai's first retailer of premium men's underwear, swimwear and fitness gear for men. Check out the latest sexy designs from international brands such as C-IN2, N2N, DT Underwear and Private Structure. Hot items for the ladies as well. Be sure to ask the cutie owner, Kenneth, to show you the goods. Open daily 2pm-midnight. 淮海路1950弄4号（近兴国路） Utopia Member Discount
Level 6, 1 Yue Yang Rd, 5477-0998, 135-6436-1793, email. Catering for events and parties from the folks who own the chain of Simply Thai restaurants. The Party People provide catering for China's hottest celebrity and rock-and-roll events. Plus, personalized gourmet fortune cookies. Yum!
A social club designed for persons who value quality friendship and enjoy non-scene social activities. People automatically think 'chopsticks and walking sticks' when they think of Asian guys with foreign guys. The Shanghai LYC chapter has a good mix of ages of both Asians and expats. It is not just a male group; they also have sub-groups for lesbians and transgenders. They offer monthly functions such as sports, day trips, dinners/lunches, theater, and bowling events. Check the schedule on their website.
Orchid Volleyball Club
139-0160-0938, email. Gay volleyball club plays regularly every week.
Email. Shanghai's first group for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered folks to meet and share information. With hundreds of members and events twice a month, it's a great way to meet new friends and catch up with what's going on in Shanghai.
Email, 138-1880-0238. Sunhomo is a gay men’s social organization that meets for sporting and cultural activities. Founded in 2002, they provide additional options for gay men to socialize beyond bars and bath houses. In Shanghai there are five swimming groups (Huangpu, Shanghai Stadium, Pudong, Changning and Jing’an groups), as well as gay badminton, volleyball, soccer, ping pong, tennis, yoga, wushu (kung fu), marathon running, and a bodybuilding/fitness group. Cultural groups include foreign language, Chinese opera, drama, KTV (karaoke), photography, and more. The Shanghai Huangpu swimming group meets three times a week: Tues, Thu and Sat. See their website for place and times for this and other groups.
119/5-10 Surawong Rd, Bangkok, (662) 238-3227, FAX (662) 634-0292, email. Asia's oldest and largest gay tour company offers hundreds of options using local English-speaking guides throughout Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), India, China, Singapore and Bhutan. Specializes in programs focusing on culture, cuisine, adventure and aesthetic improvement programs. Utopia Member Discount
Click here for Shanghai hotels and accommodations.
Museum of Chinese Ancient Sex Culture
They have relocated to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Tongli Village just outside Shanghai. There are now more than 2000 objects well presented in four buildings including an outdoor sculpture garden. Tongli itself is a great day trip away from the bustle of Shanghai where you can take boat rides along the canals or eat at the cafés and restaurants which line the ancient lanes. Every 30 minutes in the mornings there are one hour bus rides from the Tourist Bus Center at Shanghai Stadium (subway line one). Ticket price of Y$130 includes round trip bus trip, entry tickets to a Buddhist temple on an island that the bus stops at first and entry to Tongli city. Once in Tongli cross over the entry bridge and walk directly forward for 200 meters till you reach a second bridge, the sex museum is 200 meters down the clearly marked lane to your right. The homosexual artifact section has expanded to take up half of one building and includes a penis-shaped male brothel sign from the 19th century. The exhibits extend back to pre-history so there's an abundance of phallic artifacts available for study and worship. Photo above courtesy of billy-shane, Shanghai.
Comments from Utopians:
"I took the tourist bus from the Stadium to the ancient water village of Tongli, some 1.5 hours drive away in Jiangsu Province. The bus to Tongli leaves at 9am and 9:30am daily. Ticket is Y$120 including return at 4:30pm and entrance to Tongli and all the ancient halls and museums, plus a boat ride to an island to a Buddhist temple and gardens. Don't miss the Museum of Chinese Ancient Sex Culture. You pay an extra Y$20 to enter. This is the first sex artifacts exhibit in China. In the courtyard as you enter, you will be greeted by a statue of a chained up man with his giant penis sticking out. There is only a small gay section in the 'abnormal sex' exhibit in the last exhibit hall." -- Fip, Jul 26, 2006
"To visit the Museum of Chinese Ancient Sex Culture you can take a bus to Tongli for a day trip from the Shanghai Tourist Bus Centre in the Shanghai Stadium." -- h2008bj, May 29, 2006
Qibao Village
Easy to get to by taxi, just on the outskirts of downtown near the ring highway. This somewhat Disneyfied neighborhood of old shophouses along a boating canal is less touristed than Yuyuan Gardens and a great place to see the masses enjoying hundreds of food stalls, unpretentious knick-knack shops, tea rooms, and mini-museums dedicated to unique aspects of traditional folk culture such as cricket collecting and weaving. Graze at the many food stalls offering specialties that are getting rarer in the big city. Lots of photo opportunities and you'll probably be the only foreigner amongst the throngs, so you're an attraction as well!
Mid-street gardens on Zhao-jia-bang Rd (between Xiang-yang South Rd and Da-mu-qiao Rd). Local guys. Beware of hustlers.
People's Square
Near Xi Zang Zhong Lu and Wei Hai Lu. Cruising area in city center, in afternoons and early evenings. Southeast part of the garden (close to Xi Zang Zhong Lu and Wei Hai Lu). Beware of hustlers. 人民广场东南角花园, 近西藏中路，威海路
Public newspaper wall on the corner of Nanjing Rd and Jiang-xi Mid Rd.
Small Park
On a street-side on Jiang-xi Mid Rd (between Jiu-jiang Rd and Han-kou Rd, not far from the public newspaper wall). The most famous gay meeting place in Shanghai. Mostly from other provinces of China. Fun to sit and people watch, but beware of hustlers.
Comments from Utopians:
"I checked out Small Park the other night. The facility on the west side is indeed cruisy, with an endless stream of men going in and out. Outside, under the trees and on the benches, men are sitting and looking to connect. I initiated a conversation with a nice guy my age, and we had a good chat and later such a fun time." -- jingangzuan, Apr 26, 2008
Starbucks Coffee
Most branches seem to attract trendy local and visiting gays, but especially noteworthy are the Starbucks at Citic and also Riverside Ave Park in Pudong, where you can cruise and enjoy your cappuccino with the most spectacular sunset view of The Bund across the river.
Comments from Utopians:
"I was at the Shanghai Stadium Tourist Bus Center (enter on Zhongsan Er Lu). The facility behind the ticketing building is free of charge and a little cruisy. Every time I went in there I saw two or three gays." -- Fip, Jul 26, 2006
"The facilities behind the Shanghai Tourist Bus Center in the Shanghai Stadium is a cruising spot." -- h2008bj, May 29, 2006
Everyone seems to sum up Shanghai food with two attributes: bland and sweet. If you want to try tasty local food, street-side stalls and shops are abundant, and fresh. Noodles are often still cut by hand. Don't miss the local street specialty, sheng jian, sesame-topped pork dumplings fried in giant round pans.
Arch
439 Wukang Lu (near Huaihai Lu), 6466-0807. Great food and an excellent cocktail list. Very gay friendly and wireless, too. Close to gay clubs Eddy's and Shanghai Studio.
Arugula
Lane 42, House 2 Fuxing Lu (near Wulumuqi Lu), 6433-8577. Western food served in a gorgeous old house int he French Concession.
5/F Raffles City, 268 Xizang Zhong Lu. Excellent food and a popular spot for gays to brunch.
Da Qing Hwa Dumpling
Several branches of this kitschy, but tasty, eatery exist in the city. We tried the one in Jingan District (6289-9999, 6289-6666), not far from the Jade Buddha Temple. This restaurant has to have the gayest men's bathroom in Shanghai (pay a visit, if only to wash your hands)! The staff are all wearing "Chinesey" period costume but the waiters are totally cute so the effect is more charming than camp. Chunky wood furniture (how many forests were killed to furnish this place?). The place was full of locals rather than tourists (a good sign). Great and unusual dumplings come a dozen to a plate, fried with a crispy crepe-like skin so you have to pull them apart. Best of all, you can have a huge feast for four at only Y$100 (about US$12)!
Dong Zhi Jie Restaurant (Chinese)
88/6F Zhapu Rd (near Tiantong Rd). Gay people only come here on weekend evenings, from 9:30 pm till late. You can see close to one hundred gay people having dinner then. 东之杰餐厅,地址在乍浦路88号6楼,靠近天潼路
Embre
832 Julu Lu (near Changshu Lu). A lovely restaurant with tasty food and a good selection of wine. Indoor and al fresco seating. Lesbian-owned.
Fantasy Fruit Desserts Salon
518 Yanchang Rd (opposite the main gate of Shanghai University), 5638-3617. Fruit/dessert cafe. Management is gay-friendly.
Jesse Restaurant (Shanghai cuisine)
41 Tianping Rd (opposite Eddy's Bar and near Shanghai Studio), reservations: 6282-9260. A small and famous restaurant serving excellent Shanghai specialties (try the fatty pork in sticky, sweet brown sauce). Very friendly staff can make recommendations from the extensive menu. Service is fast. Although they may be able to squeeze you in on the spot, make a reservation to avoid disappointment.
Alley 946 Chang Le Rd (near Wulumiqi Rd), Building #4 (look for the sign on the main road and follow the alley in about 20m on the right), 6248-8985, email. Kevin's is the first gay restaurant in Shanghai, serving up delicious Siamese dishes in a cozy, modern atmosphere hosted by owners Terrence and Freddy along with their charming staff. Although somewhat hidden down an alley, their relaxed garden courtyard and warm interior have made them extremely popular with local, expat and visiting GLBT and their friends who want a private and romantic place to relax. 上海凯文酒吧
地址：上海市静安区长乐路946弄4号楼 （近乌鲁木齐路） Utopia Member Discount
Comments from Utopians:
"What's better than to have a fine dinner and a cocktail afterwards with your friends? Chill-out jazz music, warm-hearted people and good wine and cocktails. The restaurant closes at 10pm while the bar runs until 2am." -- b10m4n, Jan 3, 2007
Silver Tree Shanghainese and Chinese
6/F Man Ke Dun Plaza, 465 E. Nanjing Rd, 6322-2088, 6322-2239. Just off the bustling (and hustling) walking street, around the corner from the Sofitel. Nice, big restaurant with local specialties and a wide range of Chinese food. Easy ordering from the menu.
101, Twelve Xintiandi (corner of Madong Rd and Xing Ye Rd), Puxi, 6326-2088, email. Run by the Simply Thai folks, this incarnation is in the trendy Xintiandi area where 1900s Shanghainese Shi Ku Men (stone gate houses) have been restored and turned into upscale eateries and entertainment venues. Clean and colorful modern design accents the true Thai flavors on their extensive menu. Add a little spice to your Shanghai nights (and lunches)! Utopia Member Discount
5C Dong Ping Rd, 6445-9551, email. Food is reasonably priced and authentic (three Thai chefs). Popular with gays, friendly management. Lots of room downstairs, on their second floor, or outdoor garden patio. Utopia Member Discount
203 Danshui Rd, Luwan District, 6384-3496. Homewear and furniture shop with trendy, Asian modern designs. Not far from the fashionable Xintiandi shopping and entertainment area.
Huaihai Rd is a non-stop fashion parade from one world-class shopping mall to the next.
JR Simple & Special Life
Sh. Science & Technology Museum Subway, Exit 7, 137-6158-9315, email. Redecorating or just settling into a new apartment? This gay-owned shop offers a wide selection of vases and realistic artificial flowers to provide tasteful touches to fit your decor. Utopia Member Discount
Unit 101, 159 Madang Lu (next to the Simply Thai restaurant), Xintiandi, 6387-5100, email. Gifts, ceramics, lamps, furnishings, bath treats, and an innovative range of furniture plus accessories for the home, by Asian and international designers. Utopia Member Discount
9 Dong Ping Rd (just a couple doors down from the Simply Thai restaurant), 3406-0509, email. Second branch of this gift and homeware shop. Utopia Member Discount
1/F German Centre Tower 3, 88 Keyuan Rd, Pudong, 021-2898-6013, email. The first professional tanning salon in Pudong. Gay-friendly. Brand-new tanning machines from Ergoline and Dr. Kern. Open daily. Utopia Member Discount
607 North Cheng Du Rd, Jing'an District, 6272-2090, email. Gay-owned European style indoor tanning studio. Professional, clean, and good atmosphere. Utopia Member Discount
Xintiandi
At Huangpi Rd and Taichang Rd. Shanghai's trendiest boutique shopping area housed in renovated traditional Shanghai heritage buildings. A great place to people watch in the afternoons and evenings. Oodles of gays, of course.
It is evident everywhere just how cosmopolitan Shanghai was in the past and has become once again. Tree-lined boulevards and ornately designed merchant shop fronts are testament to its former prosperity and its hopeful future.
Shanghai Gay Scene Updates message forum
MANifesto
Utopia Member Discount
Purple Dragon
Museum of Chinese Ancient Sex Culture
Kevin's Restaurant and Bar (Thai cuisine)
Simply Thai
Simply Life
Sunpoint Tanning Studio![[BACK A PAGE]](backm.gif){kind=small}
![[HOME PAGE]](homopage.gif){kind=small}
QUNCI VILLAS, a tropical resort on the island of Lombak, Indonesia...
