BEIJING -- area code (86-10)

Everyone you meet in Beijing will tell you how much the city has changed in recent years. While not as radical as the space-age transformation of Shanghai, solemn Beijing refurbished its historical and cultural assets along with its infrastructure in advance of the Beijing Olympics. The official "color" of Beijing (gray!) is now splashed with color, and fresh garden landscaping is optimistically employed to combat the pollution and dust. People are happy, as any evening stroll around a hutong (traditional neighborhood) will demonstrate and there are plenty of shopping opportunities for the middle class in dozens of new mega-mall projects. Beijing is also a foodie heaven with a bounty of fantastic (and cheap) dining opportunities everywhere.

The population is is approaching 20 million (that's nearly a million Utopians).

Peking Man

Beijing is bursting with youth, and the abundance of good looking soldiers and policemen is stimulating to say the least. While a lot of fun can be had flirting with friendly locals, Beijing is not a place for abundant nightlife or a quickie holiday romance, "419" in contemporary local gay slang (as in "for one night"). Educated gays tend to socialize in small circles of friends, visiting bars and saunas only occasionally and usually in groups. If you are able to make a local friend, then you'll have an inroad to meeting the single men in their network, although this may take more time than a visitor on vacation will have. Conservative and romantic in his approach to finding the right partner, Peking Man is not inclined to "jump into the river of love" on a whim.

Many locals caution that bars, saunas and parks are filled with "MBs" (moneyboys) on the prowl -- mostly needy men from other provinces -- but less and less so these days.

People here in the capitol work hard and so clubs that welcome gays are busiest on Fri and Sat nights, and quiet on weeknights. Mid-week gay Happy Hour venues are listed in our Bars and Clubs section and these locations change frequently. The Internet is the most popular way of finding new friends. Although you may not be able to access the Chinese language QQ system, try Craigslist Beijing (and Utopia's Message Center, of course).

• Beijing Gay Scene Updates message forum

• Gayographic is an online blog dedicated to Beijing's weekly pink parties and rainbow special events. Be sure to check it frequently for the latest GLBT social opportunities.

• Lesbian listings
• Men in Beijing message forum

  Navigating the local gay scene is easy with our interactive Utopia Map of Gay & Lesbian Beijing:

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

MANifesto 57 Nanchizi Dajie, Utopia Map, 010-65-245-8850, email. MANifesto is Beijing's first retailer of premium men's underwear, swimwear and fitness gear. Just 7 minutes walk north from Exit B of the Tiananmen East Subway Station (near the Forbidden City). Check out the latest sexy designs from international brands such as C-IN2, N2N, DT Underwear, Ajaxx63 and Private Structure. Be sure to ask the cutie store manager to show you the goods. Open 2-10pm Tue-Sun. 南池子大街57号 Utopia Member Discount

• Beijing LGBT Center
  2108 Building B, Xintiandi Plaza, Chaoyang, Utopia Map, 010-6446-5698, email. Small drop-in center providing health education and prevention services. They also have a video and lecture series, the first of its kind in Beijing. Established in 2008.
  
  
• BGLAD
  Beijing Gay, Lesbian, and Allies Discussion is for those belonging to or wishing to support the gay/lesbian/bi/trans community in Beijing. Multicultural and multisexual, their aim is to bring these individuals together in a safe space that is supportive, friendly, and really FUN. They meet every 1st and 3rd Sun of the month in Sanlitun and welcome non-Chinese to join in.

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

Comments from Utopians:

"I used ChinaMango for 3 days and it was an excellent decision! My guide was a very knowledgable and customer-focused guy who can take you off the beaten track to interesting places, in addition to the main attractions." -- WayneB, Aug 31, 2009

"My partner and I visited Bejing and found it wonderful, but seriously overwhelming. We were skeptical about a 'gay guide' but decided to hire ChinaMango's guide and driver for a day. I could not emphasize enough the benefits from doing this. Our guide was prompt, polite, aware and knowledgeable. He made accomodations for things like age, size and customized the touring to our abilities. He did not rush us and we followed his suggestions with great results. We didn't end up on a bus with cackling hens. We weren't forced to shop at the 'factory tours'. Suggestions for where to go after we parted ways were abundant, clear and concise. Our guide's knowledge about China was vast and his descriptions were spot on. He also knew the nightlife scene very well. If it is your 1st or your 5th trip to China, even one days' hire of ChinaMango will add to the success of your trip. It added such a level of comfort knowing you were amongst people who could relate to your likes. We joked, laughed and spent a day that will last a lifetime." -- stonesurfer, Aug 26, 2009

"Hello, I just came back from Beijing where I used ChinaMango. They provided a beyond expectation service. Not only it took me to all places I wanted to visit but, more important, my guide was very attentive to my requests." -- Brunom , Aug 6, 2009

Click here for Beijing hotels and accommodations.

Click here for Beijing bars and clubs.

Click here for Beijing cabarets.

Click here for Beijing discos.

• Red Gate Gallery
  Dongbianmen Watchtower, Chongwen Dist, Beijing, Utopia Map, 6525-1005, email. Founded in 1991 by Brian Wallace who first arrived in China in 1984, Red Gate Gallery is the first private contemporary art gallery to be established in China. Prior to opening its doors at the 600-year old Ming dynasty watchtower in Dongbienmen, they organize and curate exhibit the best of Chinese contemporary art as well as facilitating cultural exchanges and dialogues between China and the rest of the world. With monthly exhibitions, the gallery showcases painting, works-on-paper, graphics, sculpture, photography and installation by both established artists and emerging talents. Gay-owned. Utopia Member Discount

Click here for Beijing karaoke.

Click here for Beijing Massage and Spas for Men.

HAIDIAN

• Mu Dan Yuan
  Utopia Map. From Mudanyuan station (no 10 subway line), take south east exit. Or, show the taxi driver the Chinese name below. This small park incorporates a stretch of old city wall and winding garden paths along an ancient trade canal. It is absolutely buzzing with activity (some evenings with hundreds of men), even on chillier nights, but especially in warm weather. The scene attracts men of all ages including many students from nearby universities. Some wander the gardens below while those who are more limber climb to the top of the timeworn fortification, now a spine of earth covered in trees. About 25 minutes by cab from the CBD. (土城）- 牡丹园
• Tsinghua campus
  Find the bigger of the two lakes (they are separated by a street). Prime cruising ground is the dark lane south of the facilities, but the whole lake is cruisy.

  
  OTHER AREAS

• Liu Lang Swimming Pool
  Bagou (just outside the south gate of the Summer Palace), Utopia Map, 010-6263-5992. Take the number 10 subway line to the last station, Bagou, and then walk 10 mins northwest to the intersection of the river and 4th Ring Rd at Huoqiying Bridge. For summer months, west Beijing's largest outdoor swimming pool has become a 'must-go' place for locals. They congregate there on one side, especially on Sat afternoons. Just use your gaydar to spot them. The pool has shallow and deep sections, as well as lanes for serious swimmers. Entry is only Y$10, with a deposit for the locker key. Take your own towels, soap, and slippers for the shower afterwards, but only cold water. (special thanks to ChinaMango for the tip!) 巴勾柳浪游泳场

  Comments from Utopians:

  "Yes, it was packed on Sat afternoon. It's easy to spot the place where our people gather and sunbathe. But don't even expect something naughty there. There is absolutely no place for privacy, even in the changing room and toilet. Just enjoy man-watching! The entrance fee Y$15, plus Y$10 deposit for a a padlock for the locker. But it was so hard to find an empty locker when I was there. Remember, there is no warm or hot water for showering, which is OK for hot summers in Beijing!" -- h2008bj, Jul 24, 2010

• Starbucks by Pacific Center.
• Yu Yuan Tan Park, San Li He Rd, Utopia Map. No info on specific area or best times.
• The Wudaokou area near the Beijing Language and Cultural University. Surprisingly nice, busy and very cruisy. The small cafés and bars are full of university guys eager to talk and make new friends.

CHAOYANG

• Bellagio (Taiwanese cuisine)
  6 Gongti Xi St, Utopia Map, 010-6551-3533. This large and modern restaurant attracts trendy gays as it lies directly across from Destination disco. Beijingers really enjoy the Taiwanese-style desserts on offer here. 鹿港小镇 - 北京市工体西路6号
• "Ghost Street"
  Dongzhimen Inner St, Utopia Map. From Beixinqiao Subway Station all the way to the 2nd Ring Rd. Red lanterns create a carnival atmosphere for happy local diners who come for heaps of peppered crawfish. Order up as many as you like by size (Y$2, 3, 4 or 5 apiece) and deshell with your fingers for the succulent and tongue-numbing tail meat. Prepare to sweat! As usual, to select the best restaurant, look for a place that is packed with customers. Lots of other delicious side dishes and many menues have English as well as pictures to point to. Or, if you want to try excellent modern Beijing cuisine in a heritage courtyard setting, go to 235 Dongzhimen Inner St where you can dine on a truly incredible contemporary Chinese menu (in English with pictures of wonders like salmon spring roll sprinkled with lime Pop Rocks and, pictured below, chocolate-dipped purple potato sticks with fruit loops!), watch acrobats twirling teapots on a stick and gawp as their award-winning chef creates a "never-ending noodle" choreographed to music! 东直门内大街(簋街)

• JingZun (Peking duck)
  6 Chinxiu Rd, Taipingzhuang Nanli, Chaoyang Dist, Utopia Map, 6417-4075. This bright, clean and modern eatery not only serves fantastic Peking duck and other local dishes (try the shredded chicken in "Beijing sauce" wrapped in tofu) but the price is very reasonable -- about 1/3 the cost of most duck specialty restaurants. 北京市 朝阳区 春秀路 太平庄南里6号楼 北侧
• Lantung Thai Bar + Bistro (Thai cuisine)
  LW-12 Solana Park, #6 Chaoyang Park Rd, Utopia Map, email, 5905-6213. Walk along the southern edge of the exterior of the Solana shopping complex and follow the walkway all the way to the lake where you will see a neon sign for the "bar street." Lantung is on the edge of the lake, next to Sex in Da City. Their cook is from Chiang Mai. The roof top pavilion and the lake-side seating are both fantastic. 北京市朝阳区 朝阳公园西路 蓝色港湾 LW12 Utopia Member Discount
• O Sole Mio (Italian)
  55 Xing Fun Zhong Rd, Jie Zuo Da Sha, Utopia Map, 6417-7022. Gay-owned restaurant and sidewalk café. Delicious, simple, home-cooked Italian fare. Yummy pizza and desserts. 北京市 朝阳区 幸福中路 杰座大厦

  
  FORBIDDEN CITY

• The CourtYard (fine dining)
  95 Donghuamen Ave, Utopia Map, 6526-8883. One of Beijing's first modern fine dining restraurants. Beautiful view of the moat and East Gate of the Forbidden City. Expensive.
• Pianyifang Roast Duck Restaurant (Peking duck)
  G/F Hademen Hotel (opposite the New World Center) and another branch on 3/F of the second phase of the New World Shopping Center (with the ice rink in the atrium), Utopia Map. This is one of the two most famous Beijing roast duck restaurants. The most expensive duck on the menu is cooked inside a pot rather than roasted in the oven and supposedly has a more exquisite flavor. Crispy roasted is cheaper and plenty good. 便宜坊烤鸭店
• Tianjin Baijiaoyuan Catering Franchise Co Ltd (dumplings and Chinese)
  12 Jia Xin Wenhua St, West Dist, Utopia Map, 6605-9375. Don't let the name fool you, this is one of Beijing's best dumpling restaurants with a menu featuring over 100 types of dumplings, from healthful herb and vegetarian versions to spicy dog meat. The menu is very easy, with both pictures of the ingredients for each and English descriptions.天津市百饺园餐饮连锁有限公司 - 北京西城区新文化街甲12号

Click here for Beijing saunas for men.

OTHER AREAS
• Baby Blue Adult Shop
  268-91 Renmin Rd, FengTai Dist, email. Gay and lesbian-friendly shop providing high quality adult products at the reasonable prices. Baby Blue understands the private nature of such products and guarantees your privacy. Utopia Member Discount
• Nanluoguxiang
  Utopia Map. South Luogu Lane is a revitalized traditional merchant street running through one of the best preserved hutong (traditional urban housing area) districts in China. New shops, cafés, beer bars and boutiques line this avenue and side streets beg to be explored and reward the intrepid explorer. 南锣鼓巷