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Before the economic boom of the last decade, the social scene in Beijing could only be described as lacking – and that’s putting it mildly. After the collapse of communism, however, this changed dramatically and a wealth of bars, clubs and pubs began to appear all over the city. The majority of bars and pubs, however, are concentrated around two main districts – Sanlitun Lu and Haidian. The former is now better known as Jiu Ba Jie or Bar Street and Nan Jiu Ba Jie or South Bar Street while the latter is widely regarded as the bohemian social centre.
Sanlitun received its second lease of life back in the mid 90’s when a local businessman decided to revamp the only pub in the region. Now the streets are literally lined with bar after bar. The only bad thing about this is that so many of them are practically carbon copies of their neighbours. The common consensus is that if isn’t broken, then it doesn’t need to be fixed so if one bar is doing well, why not build another just like it? Nevertheless, it is a really good place to party and will be quite an interesting experience for western visitors to the Chinese capital. Although sometimes you will be hard pushed to realize that you’ve left home at all thanks to the vast collection of theme pubs.
If you prefer a bit of variety, however, head to Haidian. Located in the university part of Beijing, it’s trendy, young and considerably cheaper than Bar Street where the owners think it reasonable to charge western prices for their western visitors.
If pubs and clubs aren’t really your scene, then don’t panic. You will find live music in most of them but there are other venues which might be more to your liking. The Beijing Concert Hall is always an option or you could check out the Beijing Opera. Regardless of how diverse your taste, the Opera is always worth a visit. And for something completely different why not check out some authentic Chinese puppetry at the Puppet Theatre on Anhua Xi Lu.
Finally, for up to date news on live happenings around the city keep an eye out for Beijing Scene which you will find in most bars and clubs or check out the Xianzai Beijing website.
Local Entertainment
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