775 Yanchang Middle Rd, Zhabei Dist, Utopia Map, 6356-4358, 6356-4798. About two large city blocks west of the Yanchanglu Subway Station. Entrance is between a mini-mart and a restaurant. The biggest gay sauna in Shanghai. Clean enough and friendly. It's a member club so you will fill out a simple form to join the first time and get a member card to use on repeat visits. Take off your shoes in the reception area and trade them for slippers. Lounging clothes provided in a bag which you must return as you depart. 1/F is reception, lockers, gym, karaoke room, showers, steam and massage. The wet area resembles a Turkish hammam, with a big hot bath in the middle and six showerpoints on the side. Most of the fun happens in the adjoining steam and tepid rooms. 2/F has a café, foot massage room, two large TV lounge rooms (one with beds), reading room with Net access, and private rooms (these can be rented at extra cost for more privacy, although the doors have large round windows). Much play goes on in the lounge areas. Just have a rest and see what develops. Mostly local crowd, 30-60yo. Masseurs on hand for an additional fee. Open 24-hours daily. 闸北区延长中路775号 (如家快捷酒店旁边的通道,沪太路东）

Comments from Utopians:

"The sauna is totally raw fun, unlike saunas in Bangkok, Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. The wet area is like a nudist club where you walk around relaxed. The action takes place in the tepid rooms and saunas. Everyone is so unpretentious and friendly, but sticky rice though. I tried it two days in a row. Luv the rawness." -- alexbam, Sep 18, 2012

OTHER AREAS

2/F 415 Baotong Rd (near Zhongxing Rd), Utopia Map, 6629-0256. Neighborhood gay sauna that is easy to get to by taxi. Or, take Line 3 to Dongbaoxing Lu, Exit 1. Keep left and go over the bridge on Baushan Lu. At the light, rurn right onto Dong Bao Xing Lu and then the next left onto Zhongxing Lu. Walk to the next intersection and turn right into Baotong Lu. The unmarked entrance is in the building on the right at 415. Climb the stairs up to 2/F. Remove your shoes and trade for rubber slippers. Pay and get a bag containing your small bath towel and pajamas. The staff will take your shoes. All facilities are on this floor. Start at the lockers (note that the lockers have a double lock system) and enter the adjacent wet area with showers (stand on the small, metal grid to activate) with shared liquid soap bottle, warm pool, massage table and two tepid rooms where most of the action takes place. After changing into your pajamas you can wander around the karaoke room, large TV lounge and bar, massage room and ping-pong room. Small, but surprisingly clean (they have one of the cleanest toilets we've ever seen in a sauna in China!). Not much English spoken, but the staff will assist you. Crowd is a very friendly a mix of mature working class men, massage staff and younger guys that seem very needy. (上海铜欣浴池,宝通路415号2楼,靠近中兴路)

228 Zhizaoju Lu, Utopia Map, 021-6313-5567. There are two saunas here, both in the alley entrance to the hotel (the large neon lit facade is easy to spot). The straight one is on the left as you enter and the gay one is on the right, just after the restaurant and before the stairwell. Take Bus 18 or 23 from Renmin Guangchang (People's Square), get off at Xietu Lu and walk through Xietu Lu to Zhizaoju Lu to find Lianbang Hotel. There is also a bus stop right in front and bus 18 and 23 pass by here to the city. There is a lady at reception and she charges foreigners for the VIP room fee (while Chinese pay Y$10 less for a regular room). You probably won't use the VIP room, but an attendant will unlock one for you if you want to use it. Most people just cruise around the open regular rooms. Lockers are large enough for small luggage, yet so flimsy you will be scared to leave anything of value in them, even though there is an attendant on duty. You are given a small towel and a set of tiny pajamas to put on after you shower. No safety supplies, so bring your own. There is a large, dark steam room off the shower area and four little mini steam rooms. The upper floors are where the cruising goes on, but it gets thick with resident moneyboys the higher and deeper you go. These young hustlers are pushy and confusingly deceptive. Diversified range of ages and physiques, from the muscular to the mature. Massage also available from sauna staff. Open 24 hours. You are allowed to go outside for one hour only to eat (with sauna slippers on). Busiest on weekends and weekdays after work. 联邦浴室, 制造局路228号

157 Zhoushan Rd (near Kunming Rd). Gay, but cheap, so don't expect the best facilities. 上海舟山浴池,地址: 舟山路157弄,靠近昆明路