BEIJING -- If you are coming to Beijing for the Olympics and spending your nightlife in bars, here are some recommended watering holes.
For your convenience, the list of recommended bars will be given according to main nightclub zones in Sanlitun, Gongti (Workers' Stadium), Houhai, Chaoyang Park, Wudaokou, 798 Art Zone, Nanluoguxiang and others.
One of the best known and most popular bar streets in the Chinese capital is Sanlitun. In 1989, the first bar in the city was opened in Sanlitun Nanjie (South Street), sparking a flurry of openings that later spread to Sanlitun Beijie (North Street).
Located in the embassy district in eastern Beijing, Sanlitun is a favorite of Westerners due to its heavily American and European influenced bars.
Despite the emergence of a number of new bar zones over recent years, Sanlitun has remained fashionable with the expat community, foreign travelers and young locals.
If you are looking for bars as a newcomer to the city, Sanlitun is a place you cannot miss -- and taxi drivers will most probably take you there without hesitation.
Here are some well-known bars in Sanlitun: Boys and Girls Club
One of the largest and best live music bars in Sanlitun. Siqingerile, a female singer from the Mongolian ethnic group, performed here before gaining nationwide fame. The club has its own band that gives performances nightly, attracting not only young people but also an older crowd.
If Sanlitun is a legend in Beijing, then Boys and Girls Club is a legend in Sanlitun. Unlike many other bars, it has insisted on playing Chinese pop music instead of Western music since its 1997 opening.
