Nightlife in Beijing is becoming more colorful and exciting by the day. Every year new nightlife activities, night clubs are coming up all over the city. The following are some great spots to spend your night in Beijing.
1. Sanlitun Bar Street
Sanlitun Bar Street is a must-go spot for night life in Beijing. The renowned CD cafe has nice Jazz band in town with numerous night clubs, discos located there. Every night, there will be some famed bands perform on the street outside or inside a bar. The song list varies from soft rock to folk and if you prefer to be close to the stage then you’d better go there before 8 or 9 pm. Locals and foreigners mingle freely while the band is singing a well known song, then everyone will follow along. Visitors always find themselves being well served in a bar in Sanlitun for the wait staff is always less than 5 feet away and ready to help. So Sanlitun Bar Street is just a great place to just go and talk with your friends while listening to some great music.
Location: The Sanlitun area is around Dongzhimenwai Dajie, northeast of the city centre - take the tube to Dongzhimen station on the Circle line No.01.
2. Donghuamen Night Market
This local night snack street is located near Wangfujing Street, hence the name of Wangfujing Street Night Markets. Actually it is located on the Donghuamen Street. So this snack food street is also called the Donghuamen Night Market. Here you can buy Mongolian barbecued lamb, sweet rolls, drinks, and much more. Even if you don't eat anything, it's interesting to just be here and watch.
Location: Dong’anmen Dajie, take Line 1 of the Beijing metro and get off at the Wangfujing station.
3. Houhai Lake Area: bars and night boat
Houhai is very fashionable and trendy compared to the seedy Sanlitun Bar Street. There are various bars and restaurants that line the shores of the Houhai Lake. The area is glimmering at night with good music drifting in the air. The area is a good place for people watching and taking a stroll. When we generally talk about Houhai, we often mean Shichahai which is composed of three lakes - Qianhai Lake, Houhai Lake and Xihai Lake. All the three lakes are connected and lined with lots of bars and restaurants. There is also a boat house with boats you can rent to paddle along the lakes.
Location: Houhai Lake, Lotus lane, north of Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.
4. Hard Rock Cafe: Beijing's Pub Cultur
The Hard Rock café Beijing is an in-house complex nestled in the Landmark Tower, close to Lufthansa center. It is unlike other Hard Rock cafés around the world and has its own style. The restaurant entrance features a bright red 1960 vintage Cadillac, a huge neon-lit guitar, and marble piano keys that pave the way to the Cafe. The interior has an 8-metre-wide dome, decorated with images of Jimi Hendrix, Chuck Berry, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Little Richard, Elvis Presley, and popular tourist spots such as Tiananmen Square and Temple of Heaven. The guitar-shaped bar, measuring 11.5 meters, is truly a masterpiece. The centre stage is set against a huge stained glass wall measuring 4.6 meters by 4.8 meters.
Location: No.8 North Dongsanhuan Road, Landmark Hotel, Chaoyang District, Beijing
5. Acrobatics Show - Chaoyang Theatre
Visitors coming to Beijing won’t miss the chance to catch an acrobat show. The ticket fee for such a show is inexpensive, around RMB 100 (EUR 10). Several theatres in Beijing have acrobatic show while Chaoyang Theatre is known as the best. It’s amazing to see the local artists do those high challenge motions and the beautiful and impressive performances will keep you enjoying and part of the show. Normally the show begins at 19:15. The Chinese acrobatics show involving bicycles, tight rope walking, and spinning plates and other performances. It is a very entertaining show, highly recommended.
Location: 36 Dongsanhuan Bei Lu, Hujialou
6. Peking Opera - Liyuan Theatre
There are several places to enjoy Beijing Opera. Liyuan Theatre is one of the most visited theatres. It is locates on the first floor in Qianmen Hotel. Chinese opera is a combination of acrobatics and singing. You will be impressed by the colorful makeup with different bright costume and exaggerated eye movement. Peking opera is one of the essences of Chinese culture and a must for alien visitors though the singing is quite different and sometimes even annoying to foreigners. By the way, the Monkey King is usually one many people’s favorite.
Location: No. 175 Yongan Road Beijing China
