In TRAVELER’s May/June issue, writer Gary Krist reveals Shanghai’s emerging new side—and a nightlife scene that’s anything but old school. Here Arthur Jones, editor of That’s Shanghai, a monthly entertainment magazine, gives his take on where the action is.
After years of Communist Party-controlled partying—no nightclubs existed in Shanghai until 1992, when Deng Xiao Ping opened the city to economic reform—Shanghai has a wild side once again. Despite a recent government clampdown that forces nightclubs to close at 2 a.m., Hip Hop and Techno are in and gay venues thrive. For some of Shanghai’s hottest nightlife spots, read on.
Rojam, 4/F Hong Kong Plaza, 283 Huai Hai Middle Road +86 21 6390 7181
Jive on the vast dance floor to techno tunes—such as the Shrink’s “Ready to Party”—that spill from a sound system reputed to be one of the best in Asia. Amid flashing lights and video projections, your sense of what is normal in Shanghai will be challenged—Rojam is located on the fourth floor of a shopping mall, and its hip crowd grooves to a beat that didn’t even exist in Shanghai until a couple of years ago. Cover charge.
Er Ding Mu, 67 Si Ping Road +86 21 5671 0803
Blacked out windows and minimalist Japanese styling on the second floor replace the gaudy lighting, tacky furniture, and cheesy background music that characterize some of the city’s gay venues. The piece de resistance: A miniature train that sends your private messages around the bar to other customers. Located near the banks of Suzhou Creek, its isolation has likely helped it escape crackdowns that have affected other gay bars in Shanghai. Cover charge.
Blue Bar, C Block, Alley 170, 3671 Shan Bei Middle Road, inside East China Normal University +86 21 6286 9424
One of the city’s quirkiest student hang-outs (it’s customer-driven, rather than concept-driven like most Shanghai bars) offers a great place to chat with China’s next generation of thinkers and catch an occasional live music set. You’ll find dingy lighting, ramshackle furniture, and grungy poker-playing students. Zhang Dali, China’s most renowned graffiti artist, recently dropped by to add his spray-paint signature mark to the walls—a black head often seen on highways in Beijing. Cover charge.
Hard Han Café Theatre, 567-569 Zhao Jia Bang Road, +86
21 6443 3362
In a country where theater is state-controlled, Hard Han offers something unusual: innovative drama coupled with cheap beer. Recent productions include an all-female version of Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot.” Favorable reports in local media, such as the Shanghai Star, mean tickets get snapped up quickly. Head there early for the best seats in the house—and a chance to chat with the thespian set.
Mazzo, 48 Qing Hai Road +86 21 6215 2715
Shanghai’s favorite after-hour hangout somehow dodged the 2 a.m. curfew, and became a premier spot to watch the sun rise over its outdoor patio. The interior is a mass of cool chrome, and the DJ owners often hit the decks for a spot of chilled-out ambient music in the early hours. Visit at 4 a.m. on either Saturday or Sunday morning, when the party crowd begins to dwindle, for the best patio seat. Cover charge.
Room with a View, 12F Xianshi Building, 479 Nan Jing East Road +86 21 6352 0256
Daring art has brought notoriety to this chic loft-style bar that sits adjacent to a large, open gallery. The drinking area is post-modern: a confusion of corrugated iron, frosted glass, and black leather. The bar’s regular shows feature local artists who’ve been left out in the cold by Shanghai’s conservative art venues. Don’t come expecting watercolors and calligraphy. Instead you’ll find work that strays from traditional Chinese art, such as political pop art and photography that frequently features nude portraits. Cover charge.
—Arthur Jones
Arthur Jones is editor of the monthly That’s Shanghai.
