Livin’ in The Chonx

Xixi Gongyuan Ba 西西公园吧

Located just Northwest  of Liberation Tower, this bar is set away from the  Jiaochangkou and Hongyadong club scene, but comes recommended by this NY Times writer as “My favorite… a den of trance music, foosball and Sichuan-peppercorn-flavored potato chips.”

Bus Tip: 临江门
Light Rail Tip: 临江门 (Linjiangmen). On north side of the station.

De Yi Bu Ye Chang 德意不夜场

The name of this place could be loosely translated as the “square that never sleeps.”  A fitting name for the largest cluster of nightclubs, bars, and karaoke in town.   During the day this area is quiet, but after sunset its pulse begins to quicken, until around midnight when all the nightcrawlers flood the area.  The more popular clubs are hopping every night of the week, and on the weekends every inch of space in these clubs seems occupied by bodies.  There is generally no cover charge, but if you sit down you must buy a drink at jacked up prices—even a bottle of beer (only imports available) is about 30 RMB.  Most of the bars and clubs are located underground, just look for the stairs or escalators leading down.  With so many to choose from this is definitely the place to go if you enjoy club hopping.  Here is a list of some of the more popular spots Continue reading »

Mian Hua Ju Le Bu 棉花俱乐部

Highly likely affiliated with the famous Cotton Club in Shanghai, this is probably the club most frequented by the expat community in Chongqing. When the live bands are not performing (these often leave much to be desired) the DJs bring the dance floor back to life with a mix of mostly hip-hop plus a hint of techno, occasionally throwing some random Greenday or YMCA into the mix. Cotton Club often has theme nights on the weekends that can be entertaining. On one of the more memorable nights, all the bar staff dressed up in Doctor and Nurse uniforms, they hung spiked IV drips around the bar, and served shots up in test tubes. Official Website

Bus Tip: 较场口
Light Rail Tip: 较场口 (Jiaochangkou) Take the Marriot exit.  Located across the street from the south side of the Marriot.

Hong Ya Dong 洪崖洞

On the 1st and 2nd floors of Hong Ya Dong are a few bars and clubs worth checking out. Among these are Babyface (Jiu Ye Ju Le Bu – 九夜俱乐部) and the Pirate Bar (Hai Dao Ba – 海盗吧). Babyface is part of a huge chain of clubs that can be found in almost every city in China. The Pirate Bar, shaped like a pirate ship and bar staff costumed accordingly, has a section for house and a separate area for hip-hop and reggae.

Bus Tip: 小什字
Light Rail Tip: 临江门 (Linjiangmen) Exit D (the Liberation Monument exit). About a 10 minute walk from here. See original Hong Ya Dong entry for detailed directions.

Pi Jiu 啤酒

The cheapest version of the local brew, Shan Cheng 山城, typically runs about 2-4 RMB per 24 oz. bottle (for the same price some places also offer Snow Beer (Xue Hua-雪花 brewed in Sichuan). Think of it as a very light beer, but with the size of the bottles, it can still fulfill the ultimate purpose of making people drunk, and it’s considerably more palatable than Bai Jiu–rice wine so strong some have compared it to paint thinner. Most of the small restaurants along the streets and sidewalks sell Shan Cheng, and many even keep it cold. When the weather cools though, they stop chilling it and eye you curiously for wanting cold beer in the winter. If it is getting on into late evening, look for the ‘night beer’ stands (Ye Pi Jiu-夜啤酒) where locals go to drink and grub on the Chinese equivalent of bar food.

A popular hang out for expats in Three Gorges Plaza is a place that has been nicknamed “Umbrellas.” In the middle of the the busy shopping district it can be difficult to find those small restaurants and shops, so this is the next cheapest alternative. It is located on the south side of the plaza (towards the railroad station), across from the Carrefour. You can recognize it by, you guessed it, the patio style umbrellas.

Over on the Jiefangbei side, right in the middle of De Yi Plaza (near Soho), is another good place to pre-game before some heavy-duty club action. Like Umbrellas in Shapingba, this area is outdoors, and for less than 20 RMB they’ll bring you a huge mug of frosty beer on tap (local brew). Wine and a few other options are available too for those who never developed a taste for fermented barley.

Niu Ka Si Er Jie Ba 纽卡斯尔酒吧

This well established bar chain has three locations around town. They are usually spacious and the bar fully stocked with imports. Often there is a billiards table in one of the corners and a dartboard. There is a central area cleared for those in the mood to dance, but it’s debatable whether or not the music will cooperate. Since these places are relatively quiet though, it’s not a bad place to relax over drinks with friends. Here are the two main locations:

Jiefangbei location: Between the Liberation Tower and the Marriot. Located on the 3rd floor.

Shapingba location: On the Northeast side of the Three Gorges Plaza. Across the street from the Pacific department store (a large McDonald’s is attached to this building). Newcastle is on the third floor.

KTV

Perhaps you have heard that Karaoke is all the rage in Asian countries. Well, China is no exception. But before you venture out for a night of off key 80s Greatest Hits, know that Karaoke in Asia is not like the Karaoke night at your local bar back home. Here people book private rooms where everyone lounges comfortably on long couches around a giant television that plays your musical selections. Going along with some Chinese friends or at least someone who can read Chinese may be useful since the computer selection screen is mostly in Chinese. Most locals prefer to sing without the original vocals, but with a push of a button at the selection screen you can turn those back on. You pay for the room up front, by the hour, and drinks and snacks can be ordered at a premium. Prices are higher in the evening and weekends than during the day, after all, this is local nightlife. There are KTV joints all over town, but here are a couple of the more affordable spots. Continue reading »