Sad to say, locals here offer the same warnings as in Beijing: bars, saunas and cruising areas are often the haunts of handsome and particularly rough trade who will lie, cheat and steal. Use common sense when chatting up a new friend.

Comments from Utopians:

Lesbian listings

Men in Xian message forum

Xian Gay Scene Updates message forum

Navigating the local gay scene is easy with our interactive Utopia Map of Gay & Lesbian Xian (special thanks to radialhead!):

ChinaMango 135-5294-9596, email. Gay and lesbian-friendly, professional licensed tour guides in Xi'an. Discreet, individual tours for discerning travelers. Day and night tours. Customize a tour for you and your friends at no extra cost. Explore each city's best places for eating, shopping and nightlife. Speedy reply with helpful advice and itinerary suggestions. Utopia Member Discount

Click here for Xian bars and clubs.

Click here for Xian massage and spas for men.

Comments from Utopians:

"Known cruising areas are the South Gate public facilities, Utopia Map, as well as the tall and secluded bushes outside Yuxiangmen (Yuxiang Gate) near the West Gate, Utopia Map." -- radialhead, Dec 10, 2010

• De Fa Chang (dumplings)
  Bell Tower Square, Utopia Map, 721-4060, 721-4065. Inside the city walls, in the Chinese-style building opposite the Bell Tower Hotel. Cheap, delicious steamed dumplings (a family-sized portion for just a dollar!) in more than 180 varieties from folk style to royal court. Great view of the imposing Bell Tower. This is a good alternative if you worry about the lack of cleanliness at street-side restaurants. Second branch a little further down the street.
• Muslim Quarter.
  Utopia Map. Try a bowl (or two) of Xian-style "paomoa" noodles in a delicious soup of tender beef strips and tiny chopped pieces of bread pancake. Fresh-grilled skewers of lamb and other delicacies are available everywhere.

  Comments from Utopians:

  "Ren Ren Ju restaurant is located in Juhuayuan St at the back the biggest Bank of China branch in Dongda Jie, near the Duanlumen bus station (the 1st bus stop in Dongda Jie after the Bell Tower), Utopia Map. It's the restaurant of Ren Ren Ju Hotel, but open to non-hotel guests. Serves authentic Chinese cuisine in a modern atmosphere. The restaurant has a picture menu so ordering is easy. Food tastes good and prices are reasonable. The place is full during dinner hours and the waiting time for your order is long. • Little Sheep is one of the more recognized hot pot restaurants with various branches in Xian. The branch in Chang'an Lu (corner of Yanta Xi Lu), Utopia Map, has a nice atmosphere, quality service and friendly staff. Upon seating, you'll be given a pencil and a checklist of various kinds of meat, fish and vegetables. Although in Chinese, you can always look at the other tables and tell the food server what you want. I always get confused looks but most of the time I get the message across. Better yet, invite a friend as hot pot is always enjoyable with company. It's 6-7 bus stops south of the Bell Tower. Take Bus No. 603 Bell Tower and get off at Wei Er Jie. The restaurant has the head of a smiling sheep as its logo. Xinjiang Restaurant has cuisine markedly different from that in the rest of China. Their specialties are lamb and fish and a personal recommendation for their fried mushrooms. They have a picture menu so ordering is easy. Many diners of Middle Eastern and Indian descent and guests who don't look like the Han majority. Location: Chang'an Nan Lu, Utopia Map. From Xiao Fei Yang, cross the street going south and walk about five minutes to the restaurant. The whole restaurant is on 2/F with a small entrance on G/F so be sure so look up for the Xinjiang sign. Kingtown No.1 Restaurant serves delicious Chinese food. 2/F has a better ambience and service is fast. Prices are reasonable, too. Recommended is the duck. Location: Dongmutoushi St, near South St, Utopia Map. From the Bell Tower, walk in the direction of the South Gate for 5-7 minutes until you see a KFC branch on your left. Then, turn left and walk for 3-5 minutes and you'll see the restaurant on your right." -- radialhead, Dec 10, 2010

• Bei Ou Guan
  123 Dong Xin Jie, Utopia Map, 8743-7015, email. Men's sauna situated opposite to Industrial and Commercial Bank, 50m east of Dong Xin Jie Night Market and within 100m of Xiao Dong Dung Men in Xian City. Difficult to find primarily because it has absolutely no signage in front. Clean, comfortable, and good service. You enter a small room, pay at the cashier near the main door, deposit your shoes at the counter then your things in a locker. Medium-sized towels provided. Immediately after the locker area are stairs going to B/F where the rest of the sauna is located. There are about 8 big-sized beds/sofas that customers use to lie down to watch a large TV. Go straight and you'll find a dimly lit shower area with hot and cold water. Go to the left and you'll find about five cabins with beds. Free tea and drinking water. Feel at home without disturbance where you may relax and make new friends. Bus routes: 10(903), 14, 22, 32, 33, 46, 232, 309, 502, 527, 606, 706, 710, 721. Utopia Member Discount

  Comments from Utopians:

  "Jin Xiu Quan bathhouse is about the same size as Bei Ou Guan in compactness and has a steady clientele even on weekdays, probably because it's very near In.D bar, Utopia Map. Once you enter, stairs will lead you down to a small reception table where you pay Y$15 day rate or Y$20 when entering after 10pm. You'll be given a key to a locker where you deposit your things. Open 24 hours. Across the street from In.D, discreetly hidden between two clothing shops. Look beside the shop called Unknown. Jin Xiu Quan can easily be missed, so be on the lookout for a black cloth in a glass door entrance." -- radialhead, Dec 10, 2010