Bar Streets
cctv.com 08-01-2005 15:52
Beijing used to be thought of as a dull city with little or no nightlife, but that has changed dramatically over the past decade. I heard from one reporter that he tried to walk one block down any major street in Beijing without coming across a restaurant. He failed. There are a huge number and variety of restaurants in Beijing now.
The same goes for bars and nightclubs, but most bars are focused into certain areas called 閰掑惂琛, literally bar streets. Sometimes these are more like neighborhoods of several intersecting streets.
One of the first and largest bar areas is Sanlitun. This is an area where there are many foreign embassies and so reflects a mix of cultures from all around the world. It's very popular especially with the expat community.
Another bar area is around 瀛﹂櫌璺, literally "college street". As the name suggests, this is an area of Beijing where many universities and colleges are located. So this is a popular area with university students.
鏈濋槼鍏洯 Chaoyang Park is another popular area. This is on the Eastern side of Beijing.
Some of the bars are large enough to hold concerts, especially for local rock and jazz bands. On any given weekend, there will be several different bands appearing at local bars. The best way to find out specific information is to look at the English tourist magazines and newspapers that are often distributed for free in hotels, coffeeshops and bars.
Editor:Liu Source:CCTV.com
