of Service to Asia's Gay & Lesbian Community!
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Homosexuality is NOT illegal in China. Paying for sex IS. Do not pay for sex under any circumstances or you may be subject to blackmail or worse. Respect the law while you are a guest in China.
Qing Dynasty conservative Confucians (17th century), buggery-obsessed British-colonial imperialists (18th century), and Mao with his catastrophic pogrom to annihilate Chinese cultural tradition (20th century), all failed to stamp out the human reality of same-sex love and gender diversity. A short-lived attempt to stifle the natural by adding homosexuality to the official list of diseases fizzled in April, 2001, when physicians updating the Chinese Classification of Mental Disorders pressed their collective undo button.
China's long literary tradition offers many elegant references to socially accepted gay and lesbian relationships in the ruling classes. Indeed, some of those legendary romances are still referenced in contemporary language used to describe homosexuality. Alas, the lives and loves of common folk and women were rarely valued enough to be put into song, verse, or scholarly library, and so these listings offer a remarkable glimpse at the comtemporary everyday gay scene enjoyed by millions of comrade Utopians.
Chinese lesbians use the terms "T" for tomboy (butch women), 婆 or po (femme or wife), and 不分 or bu fen (not divided) for women who don't fit the T/Po stereotypes. The slang term lala or is also used by lesbians to describe themselves.
With GLBT organizations, legal services, events and festivals around the country, and with the emerging power of the middle class, China's gay scene is blossoming.
The best way to make local connections is to use the Blued app!
This English-language monthly magazine available widely around the country has a gay and lesbian page.
Since 1996, the Tongzhi Conference has been successfully held multiple times in Hong Kong (1996, 1998, 1999, 2004) and in Taipei (2001). It has become an important international gathering for Chinese tongzhi (LGBT) and their supporters around the world. In addition to the conference itself, they also sponsor a series of tongzhi events throughout the conference week, such as public education activities, social gatherings and dance parties.
Their mission is to provide related information to the queer comrades who lack information and resources in China, to provide services to those comrades whose civil rights are violated, and to build a global network for Chinese comrades.
Gay and lesbian-friendly, professional licensed tour guides in Beijing, Xi'an, Chengde, Xinjiang and Pingyao. 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.
The population of Baotou is over 2 million (that's about 80,000 Utopians).
Mixed place, but after 10pm the gay ratio increases remarkably. Las Vegas-style drag queen and dancer shows with half-naked guys. Nice place to be. Open nightly till 2am, busiest Fri-Sun.
This friendly gay bar welcomes gay men as well as lesbians. Large dance floor and nightly shows. Karaoke also available.
The population is half a million (that's about 20,000 Utopians).
Gay-owned local gay hang-out.
Near the intersection of Bo Ai Jie and Chang Chun Lu. The manager is a great guy to hang out with. They have masseurs, but no one is pushy (just say no once and they won't bug you again). There's a room downstairs, below the common room, for action. Bring your own safety supplies. You can stay the night, but have to leave before noon the next day. After showering, head to the basement (that's where all the action is) via the stairs in the right corner of the resting lounge. They've cleaned up the place a bit. You'll find guys of all ages.
A few hundred meters west of Da Di Chun Bing Restaurant (very famous here). There is a red long (dragon) Chinese character right next to the entrance door. A small local sauna (don't expect much in the way of facility hygiene), with cubicles at the end of the hall to have fun. The crowd is mostly around 25-30, a bit shy to mingle, but a little Chinese will go a long way. They also have massage available and the masseurs are cute.
This bar is on 3/F down a dingey hallway with no sign, just some colorful rope lights (a lesbian bar is on 2/F). The bar is poorly furnished, poorly ventilated when it's full of guys smoking, and often just plays Chinese karaoke on a big screen above the stage/dance floor. Very loud music. Nice local costumes drag show at midnight. Hardly any English spoken, but you can get by meeting guys using WeChat´s translation feature. Drink selection is not too broad. The mood is lively and people are friendly.
Opened in late 2010. Nanmei has loud karaoke-style music and a weekend drag show. Attracts a middle-age crowd. Open 7-11pm every evening (weekends til midnight).
From Malt, walk north on Zhonghua Rd, turn right at the first intersection (Qianling Dong Lu), then turn right again before the bridge into an alley sloping down behind a tallish building. DD is on the right, on the back side of Yinhai Mansion. Very close to the cross road with Shaanxi Lu. You can call the very helpful boss, Mr Brian (who used to work at English First), if you need help finding it. Dancing, loud music, with drag queen waiters. Very lively, even on weekdays (show before 10:30pm on weekdays), full of young gays.
Find the prominent sign 'Xingguan Canlan', then walk right down an alley past a parking gate. The sign 'Ever' is on the left, with the bar downstairs. Windows of the Dicos fast food store on 2/F (entrance in the shopping mall) look out over the side alley that the bar is located on.
Smallish sit-down lounge drinking bar.
It is located in the same building as club Pink, in the city center close to Soho club. Mixed, but 50% young gay men at least.
With renovation of the building behind it, a street restaurant in front of it (usually closed by the time the bar opens), and no sign, this bar can be hard to locate. But persist. Customers are mostly middle age and working class, plus young guys who like mature men.
Gay, bi and straight men massage by fully qualified masseur. Hot oil sensual massage with a mix of Thai and Chinese traditional techniques and an acrobatic advanced yoga slant. Let him warm you up with a good back massage. 24-hour outcall massage.
In the area of the Yingxing Hotel, near the Suocao Rd bus stop. Not the easiest place to find. On Suocao Rd, about 100m from the Yingxing Hotel, take a right at a small alley going down a slope, then veer right. Entrance is inside a building's parking lot. Mostly middle aged guys. Not plush. Entrance is Y$21.
The population is a half million (that's 20,000 Utopians).
Gay and lesbian-friendly western style coffee shop and restaurant with free Wi-fi. Under the Radar gathering Wed nights 8pm until closing. Women spotted here. Email for earlier meeting times.
Harbin's population is over 10 million (that's about 400,000 Utopians).
Geared towards the younger 20s crowd, this is another show bar with magic, humor, dancing, lip-sync, and some drag shows. Quite crowded on Fri and Sat night. The crowd was mixed, but obviously friendly. Shows start about 10pm.
Bar sign in blue neon letters. It is located on the first floor. Lanyu puts on very elaborate drag shows on Fri and Sat nights -- with lip-syncing, jokes, story telling, and an impressive group dance of some over-the-top drag queens. The walls are adorned with numerous pictures of previous guests and famous people. Drinks are relatively cheap, and they have some simple bar snacks. Be prepared for the sound of endless seed-cracking. Fri nights seem more popular, but there is a healthy Sat crowd.
Near Jiang Jun Ya Shu.
Ask a taxi driver, most of them know it. It fills up on the weekends. Drag shows and loud dance music.
Southwest corner of this park, around the facilities.
Really friendly and really cute staff. Inexpensive drinks.
There are several Top One discos in town. There are more gays at branch in Kundu. The hippest place for locals, with quite a lot of gay people.
Many gays go here.
Excellent bar with gay cabaret and friendly staff. Mainly local crowd of mixed ages.
Go to Jinqiao Hotel and then walk 5-10m along Sela Rd towards the north. You will see a T-junction and then you will find a 2-storey high traditional Tibetan building. Friendly bar. The manager, a handsome guy, can speak English. Most guests are Tibetans, who are enthusiastic. The club is decorated in a modern Tibetan style.
60m south of Feng HuangTai Park. Pleasant place. Staff are very friendly. Busy weekends 10:30pm till late.
Lijiang old city. Good music and coffee.
To the left of the southern bridge across the Liu Jiang river. It is very active after dark with many, many Utopians on the lower levels (where they sing and cut hair during the day, but down a level or two).
Population is a half million (that's about 20,000 Utopians).
Special tour program for gay men that is offered every weekend. Package includes male strip show at Divino club plus the Taboo show at the City of Dreams. There is also an optional free half day city tour to the Macau historical attractions and natural landscapes with their guide staff. Visit the old world Cantonese downtown, with cool shops and eateries. The historic Portuguese district, with it's distinctive architecture, is gorgeous. The foodie scene here is excellent, with many influences from Europe joining those of China. See their website for tour details.
From the Walmart, turn left (with the Walmart entrance to your back) and cross the street via the footbridge. Stoll down the next block to roughly opposite the entrance to People's Park across the road. You will see a little, alley with small restaurants called FuAn Alley (福安巷). Take a left into the alley and walk down it. About three quarters down the alley the road will make a small bend to the right; passing this you will see the next intersection with e-bike shops on all of the corners and there is no street name sign. Turn right and walk on the right hand side of the road and you will see the bathhouse. It has the brightest windows on the block. Exchange your shoes for a locker key, face cloth and rubber slippers at the front desk (they only have small sizes, so you may want to bring your own). Facilities include a large warm bath, showers and dry sauna - all open plan with the option to get a body scrub (also done in the open). Day time and early evenings you find a lot of men who came to take a bath, chatting away with the other guys in the bath. It turns more quiet after 10pm, with some eye contact. Lounging area on 2/F (this swarming with both male and female workers, and also men and their wives staying the night). Not withstanding this, if you stay over night, you will experience a lot of touching and fondling under the blankets, which is frequently interrupted by staff. There are more inexpensive private rooms available if you have discovered someone you need to see in private. A odd set-up, but worthwhile to explore. Busiest over weekends, but less people and therefore more privacy during the week.
Walk up Dieshan Lu (away from the river) a couple blocks and turn right onto Zigu Lu (Zigu runs parallel to the Walking St). A half block down on the left look for the large "510" sign just above the doorway. Climb the stairs and pass the gay bar on 3/F. Busiest on Fri and Sat 8pm-midnight. Typical, run-down local neighborhood dive with showers, dark room and resting area. Karaoke and occasional drag shows. Busiest on Fri and Sat after 8:30pm. Typical, run-down local neighborhood dive. Friendly.
From the Gloria Grand Hotel, walk up Dieshan Lu (away from the river) a couple blocks and turn right onto Zigu Lu (Zigu runs parallel to the Walking St). A half block down on the left look for the large "510" sign just above the doorway. Climb the stairs and pass the gay bar on 3/F. Busiest on Fri and Sat 8pm-midnight. Typical, run-down local neighborhood dive with showers, dark room and resting area. Open 24 hours.
A pro-bono organization sponsored by Nanning Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Family Health International (USA). They are working to build Nanning's gay community and prevent STDs and AIDS. They also offer consultation and help for gay people which helps improve the ability to combat STDs.
An open public square right in the centre of the city. After evening falls there are gays around the public facility at the edge of this square and along the small park area.
Small woods near the public facility on the west side of the square, beside the flyover. Just behind the bus station, opposite the Science Museum. After 9pm you can find gay people here, especially on weekends, but after 10:30pm is the perfect time.
Largest gay sauna in Nanning. More people between 8pm-midnight, especially weekends.
Nice environment. Popular in evenings and weekends.
Reported to be the only gay bar in town. Busy on weekends and some gays on weekdays. The boss is friendly (same owner as Blue Light Bath sauna). Drag shows.
Chinese style bath house with bar and dark room.
Entry at rear. Small bar serving mostly local guys in their late 20s.
This support center based its name on the story about Noah's Ark, with the goal of providing help and information to gay and lesbian citizens in this city of 7 million.
Famous cruising park in Heping District, more or less in city center. Supposed to be always jumping. Beware of MBs.
A peaceful place. There are lots of trees, a lake, an "extraventricular natatorium" (Summer) and a rockery. It is beautiful.
Just East of the Yun He Qiao Ke Yun Bus Station ticket sales office on 2/F (take the outside metal steps up to 2/F). Bus routes 2, 31, 37,41,7,101, & 201 stop nearby. A huge bar with the standard provincial drag queen shows (except many of these queens have muscles and some have tattoos!) and some live singing. Unlike most bars in China, this one has a very high ceiling, and large surface area making it much less smoky and more bright. Cheap drinks. As usual with bars outside the big cities, the focus here is groups of friends who come to watch the shows, but if you are alone you will likely be invited to join a group. Open nightly.
Some gays may be spotted dancing together and hanging out in the red room. Go a little early (around 10pm+) and be discreet.
Ask your cab driver to call the cell phone number for directions. Although the place is close to the main road, better if you can get the taxi to wait for you. Run down and beware of overcharging. Local crowd. Weekends are probably best.
Gay bar with karaoke located in a small pedestrian zone. Best if your taxi driver can call the bar so that someone may meet when you get dropped off. Busy Fri-Sun nights from 9pm.
Take bus number 702 or 596. Or take bus 519 to Luo Jia Shan Station and from that gate you go left until the first big intersection with a huge bridge over it, about 100m away, then turn right and walk for about 100-150m and that's it. The precise location is right across the street from a large hotel called Rui An Cheng Shi Jiu Dian (very easily seen from that big intersection). On the right side of this intersection is also a very large building called Ying Hua Da Sha, which can also be used as an orientation point, because Rui An Hotel is on the left from this building. The bar itself is not very noticeable and it's located underground. The atmosphere is very nice. The barman is a very friendly, handsome young guy named Jerry, fluent in English and very forthcoming. The bar owner, Mr. Shen, is also more then friendly and hospitable. A lot of nice local guys, even mid-week. Prices are affordable. Young gay crowd, mostly Chinese. Very friendly for foreigners.
On 3/F, above Brother Bar. Crowd here is 30+ in age.
Go to the main entrance of the long esplanade by the ferry terminal. As you go down the steps, turn right onto a narrow garden pathway. There is a row of restaurants there and Romantic Life is near the end of the block. This is a friendly and popular gay bar on the Yangzi riverside. Dim lighting and nice decor. Busiest early on Fri and Sat. Young crowd.
Cozy lesbian bar in Wuchang. Call to check opening hours.
Sauna, Shower, 2 large lounges (one with TV and bar counter), private rooms. The towel they give you is tiny. Shabby and not particularly hygenic. The clientele is mainly 35+. Soldiers pop in here occasionally. Beware that management will try to charge a lot more to foreigners than the locals so best to go with a local if you can meet one at the bars first. Comfortable private rooms with lockable doors, which is rare in Chinese gay saunas. Massage also available. Very inexpensive entry.
In the city center, housed in the complex of the 789 Hotel. Find the huge sign for the KTV (close to the police office) and take the stairs to 3/F. On the landing you will be met by the staff. There is ballroom dancing every Sat night from about 8pm. If you like dancing, come and see how traditional waltzes and Fox Trots and an array of other styles of dancing is done to modern Chinese pop music. Tea is served. Not very cruisy, but a lot of fun. Mostly locals.
Difficult to find, so best to ring first. This place is usually very quiet (often the MBs outnumber the customers). There may or may not be shows on the weekends. Pet peeve: staff expecting drinks to be bought for them.
A large gay bar.
Women-only bar.
A gay-friendly blind massage parlor with an older masseur. Chinese traditional massage. A small place but the service is the best so far in town.
A mostly straight sauna, but worth a visit. Men walk about totally nude in the showers, jacuzzi, sauna and body scrub area. Overnight stay allowed in a common room and occasional shows.
Just beside an Internet cafe. People go there about 10pm.
A nightclub/bar with a very gay friendly crowd. Very simple techno decor and dimly lit enough to be intimate. KTV rooms also available upstairs. Although it opens at 8pm, crowds come in around 10pm. Lots of young, cute, friendly guys ready to chat or otherwise. Drink prices are reasonable. Buy a dozen and you'll soon have lots of friends.
On Guihua Nan Lu a few meters north of the intersection with Changsheng Lu, Gongbei, near the Macau border. Gay bar with no entry charge. Some English spoken.
Large and clean massage shop with a mixed crowd. Choice of 20 masseurs. Not much English spoken, but a few can, so you can request an English speaker, or a masseur will be assigned at random. Shared locker room with showers and a small sauna room. Foot massage, plus Chinese or oil body massage are available. The masseurs are mostly early or mid -20s and slim. Affordable and good massage quality.
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