Bar
The grungy surroundings and understated entry to this former factory suggest a dive bar, but if there is one inevitable meeting spot for in-the-know Beijingers from fashion to art circles, it is D-Lounge. Hang around here and you might be asked to sip champagne with a blue-chip artist or editor-in-chief of one of China's leading magazines. Courtyard 4, Gongti Beil.
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Mao Mao Chong ("caterpillar" in English)is easy to miss. Their vodka cocktails are infused with local ingredients like Sichuanese pepper and various teas. Prices start at 15 RMB for beer and 40 RBM for cocktails. WEBSITE
Club
Acupuncture Records’ beacon of electronic sound, Lantern Club, a staple in the nightlife scene. Lantern specializes in underground music, and with a venue that is literally underground, it’s set to make a name for itself. The club features a large dance floor on the weekend with a massive DJ booth and a focus on lounging and good cocktails on weekdays. Big name international acts and most-sought after local DJs are caught at Lantern often, and it’s the beloved home for all electronic music lovers in Beijing. WEBSITE
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In the basement of China's most interesting boutique hotel, Opposite House, lies Punk-a compact lounge and dance bar that attracts revelers of a more style-conscious ilk. This is where the fashion set gets down. WEBSITE
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The name Yugong Yishan translates roughly as "the foolish old man who removed the mountains". This music club has remained one of the strongest voices in the Beijing’s independent music scene for over a decade. WEBSITE
Eatery
Started by a team of six youngsters, Hot Bean is filled with colourful murals, graffiti and a hip crowd from all over the city. Their famous chicken sauce is "pervertedly spicy".
Eatery
Owner and art world insider Madame Zhu makes sure her eccentric clientele are entertained, often with decadent cabaret performances, including transvestite singers, which are still slightly risque in China.
Special Places
As an events space complete with theater for performances and seminars, Contempio is full of interesting curios like restored posters of the Great Helmsman, magnificent crystal chandeliers and the disco rhino.
Special Places
Not often publicized and only open by appointment,Wu Hao is nestled in Mao'er Hutong and might be the world's most beautiful retail space.This lavish space is also part of the garden of Wan Rong, the last emperor's wife. WEBSITE
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C Union is a friend’s hangout amongst Guangzhou’s hidden bar culture. Known for its live shows and familiar crowd, you will without a doubt find yourself in good company. Adress: No.115, Shuiyin Rd., Chengshihui
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R cafe is a trendy victorian-esque wine bar that provides a calm escape from Guangzhou’s neon lights. The bar stocks wines from France, Portugal, and South America and serves tasty cocktails like the peach mojito and blue margarita. Adress: 12 Jianshe Liu Ma Lu, Yuexiu District
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Strongly influenced by Guangzhou’s developing international nightlife scene, Moment combines sight, sound, taste and clashing lights. WEBSITE
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Hang along the Zhu Jiang river in the open air. The Suns club is a new addition to the Guangzhou nightlife scene. Nonstop dance music makes the furniture glow in the dark.
Eatery
There is a strong Japanese influence on food in Guangzhou, blended with traditional Cantonese flavours. The selection of fresh fish and sashimi bars is abundant and open late among the dizzying alleyways. Address: Xinyi Road, Baiyunqu
Eatery
This is a vietnamese restaurant which has diversified its menu beyond authenticity. Each dish blends various regional flavours and mixes imported herbs like lemongrass with crunchy sea salt coatings. Address: 2/F, Guangzhou Yi Jian Building, Jian She Liu Ma Lu, Yuexiu District
Special Places
Ping Pong is more than just a bar. Hidden in the back courtyard of an abandoned factory, the concrete space hosts various projects and serves as a meeting space for international artists. Live gigs and art installations are in constant rotation.
Address: #60, Xianlie Dong Heng Lu
Special Places
Xiao Zhou Village lies on the southern outskirts of Guangzhou, about 35 minutes away by bus. Here lies a lost world of oyster shell homes and artist studios. Check out a part of the countryside that seems to have stopped in time.
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Ultraviolet lights, life size monopoly games and karaoke join forces. Have fun singing your favourite songs while freeing yourself from jail.
Address: 11th floor, Ashley Centre, No.23 - 25 Ashley Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
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Sipping a nice cocktail while overlooking the sparkling city lights is always nice. Get a feel for the posh side of Hong Kong at night.
Address: 4th floor, Universal House, No.229 - 230 Gloucester Rd, Causeway Bay
Club
Driving down Ice House Street, one cannot miss Fly’s playful front porch, a semi-outdoor area that is embraced by floor-to-ceiling timber planks intertwined with trees and light reflections from a gold disco ball spinning lazily in the background.
Club
Peel Fresco Music Lounge has an amazing glass celling from which you can watch bands from the second floor VIP room. Here you will find 10 - 15 various red & white wines. Happy hour daily from 5pm.
Eatery
Lan Fong Yuen invented the Panty Hose milk tea over 50 years ago, now this drink is a signature staple in HK traditional restaurants.
Address: Shop 26, Chung King Mansion, Nathan Rd, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Eatery
The dizzying alleyways among Hong Kong’s streets offer a place to hangout and the potential for a tasty feast. The snake meat with rice and noodles at Snake King Hip is famous for its snake induced health properties.
Address: No. 180 Apliu Street, Shum Shui Po, Hong Kong
Special Places
This is a tiny little place where you can drink and chit chat with the locals. Jam sessions and movie screenings are on the monthly calendar. Sunday brunches are also served occasionally and are a perfect ending to an eventful weekend in Hong Kong. WEBSITE
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Rat’s Cave is the first streetwear concept store and mini-gallery opened by the Hong Kong street art crew Start From Zero. It is a secret place for street artists and hidden members of society, although welcome for all to explore. WEBSITE
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Lune is a dive bar that hosts Acid Pony Club Disco every Friday night as well as one-off events like rap battles that travel through Shanghai from Guangzhou to Beijing. Dim polka dot lighting and geometric wall patterns create a cheerful and relaxed hangout spot.
Address: 4F, 218 Xinle Lu, corner of Donghu Lu
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This bar is located in a former bomb shelter. The tunnels create great acoustics and since it has no official closing time, you can easily escape from the world far below the ground.
Address: 5 Yongfu Lu neat Fuxing Xi Lu
Club
Managed by Shanghai’s Soma Records, Moa Live House is the best venue to see electronic and independent shows like Boys Noize and Crystal Butterfly. WEBSITE
Club
Node is a sleek club in the middle of Shanghai’s Red Town sculpture garden.West Shanghai’s formerly vacant streets attract a fashionable crowd who are addicted to the thrill of finding the newest trendy place. WEBSITE
Eatery
Located in a 1920‘s Shanghai-style villa, Lost Heaven serves dishes with exotic flavours from China’s Yunnan Province, Northern Thailand and Burma. Combinations of spices and edible flowers are a surprising delight. WEBSITE
Eatery
Xingfu serves countless Chongquing fish dishes that are coated with at least a dozen options using various spices in various intensities. Try the opium fish drenched in herbs, pepper and oil and hang out with the hip early hours crowd.
Address: 237 Wanping Road, Xuhui
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This hidden space is a three-floor graffiti lover’s dream. Stocked with spray cans, studio and event space, and lecture rooms, this graffiti park will continue to grow into a colourful playground. WEBSITE
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This glass museum displays more than just delicate Chinese artifacts. The building’s façade is made from thousands of glass bricks and inside you will find a restaurant that serves high-quality liquors and delectable dishes. WEBSITE
See the world and experience the most influential places and people pushing boundaries of the international nightlife scene.