China guide Shanghai gay

SHANGHAI GAY GUIDE
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Shanghai 2023 Gay Venues

Shanghai is a relatively gay-friendly city, more international than most other mainland China cities. The queer community is massive: about 2.7 million (equal to the entire population of Las Vegas or Chicago), but only a teeny, tiny, minuscule fraction of the Shanghai LGBT community frequent various bars and clubs. Most prefer apps, private home parties and other places.

I list all known gay venues below, and additionally from time to time may add list a couple of gay friendly places that cater to a predominately larger number of gay clientele than most. There are probably more than 300 or so other gay-friendly spaces, bars, coffee shops & restaurants in Shanghai that I do not list drawing in gay clientele.

Shanghai Gay Spaces:

🎯 = good starting point
 in no particular order

  1. Ash Store Bar (灰烬商店) 🏳️‍🌈🍸

    My opinion  SH GayBar ASH
    Comfort Gold StarGold Star
    Int’l Quality Gold StarGold StarGold Star
    Value for $$ Gold StarGold Star
    Staff English Gold StarGold Star
    Crowd Size Gold StarGold StarGold StarGold Star

    Hip and trendy gay bar with weekends packed wall-to-wall with 20-something Shanghainese fashionistas decked out in head-to-toe black many with silver studded shoes, interlaced with 30% lesbian or faghag with a smattering of straights who seem to have gotten lost walking by the venue. Challenging to get table service and the front steps spilling over with small groups nestled in very low to ground folding canvas sling chairs, or sitting on steps, amidst a few gay guys air kissing, hugging or canoodling. Style over comfort here. Many tables with mixed drinks by the urn. Prepare to line up for bar service. If you want to seen in the scene, and you fit the fashionista trend, this place is for you.  In October 2023, I was standing outside next to 3 straight couples from the USA, overhearing their conversation: Woman #1 “I think this is a gay bar“, Man #2 “In China, no, they don’t exist!“, Woman #3 “Definitely yes, those 2 guys are kissing“, Man #2 “Wow!” Woman #1 “Told you so, we should move on to a different bar“.
    Shannghai Gay Bar Ash Store Exterior

    WeChat IDWeChat ID :
    Ash Store 灰烬商店
    18 Maoming South Road, Huangpu
    (a block north of the Lyceum Theatre)
    🚖 Taxi: 上海市黄浦区茂名南路18号
    ♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥

  2. Moon Bar 🏳️‍🌈🧸🥃

    My opinion  Shanghai Gay Moon Bar
    Comfort Gold StarGold StarGold StarGold Star
    Int’l Quality Gold StarGold Star
    Value for $$ Gold StarGold Star
    Staff English Gold Star
    Crowd Size Gold StarGold StarGold Star

    MOVED TO NEW LOCATION: In August 2023 moved from the XingGuo Mansion alley to new home on Zhaojiabang Lu with 2 primary rooms. The Moon Bar is generally frequented by Chinese bears and their Chinese admirers.  In the basement down a couple of flights of stairs with no handrail. Hole in the floor style toilets only. Bulk beer sold by the bucket. Don’t expect any English spoken.
    Shanghai Gay Moon Bar 2023 Exterior Shanghai Gay Moon Bar 2023 Hall Shanghai Gay Moon Bar 2023 DJ Shanghai Gay Moon Bar 2023 Karaoke

    WeChat IDWeChat ID : 上海MoonBar
    Yuhua Building, B1 Floor, 366 Zhaojiabang Road, Xuhui (next to Hangzhou Bank)
    🚖 Taxi: 徐汇区肇嘉浜路366号裕华大厦B1层(杭州银行旁)
    ♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥

  3. HIDE Bar & Cafe 🏳️‍🌈🥃☕️🍸

    My opinion  Shanghai Gay Bar HIDE Cafe
    Comfort Gold StarGold StarGold StarGold Star
    Int’l Quality Gold StarGold Star
    Value for $$ Gold StarGold StarGold Star
    Staff English Gold StarGold Star
    Crowd Size Gold StarGold Star

    Off the beaten track with a name that accurately depicts its location. Small lounge space with a couple of exterior tables in the Creative Industry Media Park beyond a security barrier gate. Although meaning well, it’s unfortunately located under a wall of residential balconies with not so happy residents and a with view of parking lot and garage. Offering cocktails, beer and coffee. Generally frequented by a younger set of Chinese. Huge brightly lit western style toilet block across the car park. Owned/operated by the ex-bar manager from Rice Bar, and co-owner of 88 Cafe. Don’t expect any English spoken. Opened on September 1, 2023.
    Shanghai Gay Bar Hide Exterior Shanghai Gay Bar Hide venue

    WeChat IDWeChat ID : 
    TBA
    990 Changping Lu, inside the Creative Industry Media Park, Jing’an.
    (Enter through gate/alley way directly across street from the Jing’an Tax Bureau, walk through parking lot, past the fish pond, and it will be on your right across from a garage)

    🚖 Taxi: 昌平路 990号
    ♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥

  4. ManGo Bar 🏳️‍🌈🧸🍻

    My opinion  Shanghai Gay Venue Mango Bar
    Comfort Gold StarGold StarGold Star
    Int’l Quality Gold Star
    Value for $$ Gold StarGold StarGold StarGold Star
    Staff English Gold Star
    Crowd Size Gold StarGold StarGold StarGold StarGold Star

    Inside the Junfeng International Fortune Plaza in Hongkou (see maps and photos),  ManGo prides itself in providing a space that connects older gentlemen with their younger admirers, akin to a large fun gay beer hall with a super friendly crowd that is very, very, local, and best on Friday and Saturday between 8:30 PM and 11:30 PM.
    📋 See my review for more details, photos & maps.
    WeChat IDWeChat ID : vvvjxsvvv
    Junfeng International Fortune Plaza, Room 32, Basement Floor
    1599 Dalian Road, Hongkou, Shanghai China
    🚖 Taxi: 骏丰国际财富广场, 大连路1599号骏丰国际广场内
    ♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥

  5. Roxie (Lesbian) ⚢🌈🍽🎯🍸

    My opinion  Shanghai Gay Venue Roxie
    Comfort Gold StarGold StarGold Star
    Int’l Quality Gold StarGold StarGold StarGold StarGold Star
    Value for $$ Gold StarGold StarGold Star
    Staff English Gold StarGold StarGold Star
    Crowd Size Gold StarGold StarGold Star

    A safe, versatile space for the lesbian community (and their gay friends) providing a place to hang out in comfort everyday of the week. Charming and super friendly owner Ting Ting Liang from Holland focuses on creating an inclusive space catering for all crowds with a special focus on providing high-quality highly-affordable cocktails. 6pm-2am daily in the 2023 post COVID new gayborhood at Shaanxi North Rd and Kanding Rd
    Follow the official WeChat for details:
    WeChat IDWeChat ID : RoxieShanghai
    2nd Floor, 359 Kangding Lu, near Shaanxi Bei Lu, Jing’an
    🚖 Taxi: 静安区康定路359号, 近陕西北路
    ♥⚢♥⚢♥⚢♥⚢♥⚢
    ♥⚢♥⚢♥⚢♥⚢♥

  6. Hiro House 🏳️‍🌈🥃

    My opinion  Shanghai Gay Bar HIRO House
    Comfort Gold StarGold StarGold StarGold Star
    Int’l Quality Gold Star
    Value for $$ Gold StarGold StarGold Star
    Staff English Gold Star
    Crowd Size Gold StarGold Star

    A gay bar whose brand was once a lovely coffee friendly space within the gayborhood compound near Riink, Roxie and Palace etc... but now moved to new location up in Putuo within the “Brilliance 1912 Creative Industrial Park” and now just another bar, no longer with coffee… very “cliquey” crowd that keeps to their own groups. Chinese style toilets.  Reasonable pricing, but no English.
    Shanghai Gay Bar Hiro Entrance Shanghai Gay Bar Hiro Interior

    WeChat IDWeChat ID : HIROhouse
    订座电话:19539487298 吾川

    201, Building 9, 477 Macao Lu, Putuo
    (enter through gate, past security, up alley to find brightly lit door on right with elevator to 2nd floor… see photo)
    🚖 Taxi: 普陀区澳门路477号9号楼201室
    ♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥

  7. Riink (Gay-friendly) ⚢🌈🎯🍽🛼

    My opinion  Shanghai Gay Venue RIINK
    Comfort Gold StarGold StarGold StarGold StarGold Star
    Int’l Quality Gold StarGold StarGold StarGold StarGold Star
    Value for $$ Gold StarGold StarGold Star
    Staff English Gold StarGold StarGold StarGold StarGold Star
    Crowd Size Gold StarGold StarGold Star

    Roller cocktail disco where different people can meet and feel good about themself.  Riink provides a personal experience, serving quality drinks and snacks, and doing these things consistently, run by Ting (also owns nearby Roxie) and her uber friendly team, plus cocktails and delicious diner style food and snacks, makes for an interesting combination. Crowd has a good mix of LGBT, especially on weekends. Drinks (and skate rentals) are very affordable and excellent quality. On the 2023 post COVID new gayborhood at Shaanxi North Rd and Kanding Rd.
    WeChat IDWeChat ID : riinkshanghai

    Bldg 18, Shankang Li, 358 Kangding Lu, near Shaanxi Bei Lu.
    🚖 Taxi: 上海市静安区康定路358号18号楼RIINK
    ♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚤♥⚤♥⚤♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥

  8. Ten Club 🏳️‍🌈🕺🏼🥃

    My opinion  Shanghai Gay Bar TEN Club
    Comfort Gold StarGold StarGold Star
    Int’l Quality Gold StarGold Star
    Value for $$ Gold StarGold Star
    Staff English Gold Star
    Crowd Size Gold StarGold StarGold Star

    A very gay club on weekends packed to the brim with teeny-bopping tweaked out local boys, across the hall from Asia Blue.  It is the re-incarnate of COMO/BELLO/390+ in the same space, replete with high and mighty attitude door staff. Themed nights (see WeChat for details) 8:30pm until late, daily.
    WeChat IDWeChat ID : TENCLUB上海

    2nd Floor, Block M, RED390, 390 Panyu Road, by Fahuazhen Road
    🚖 Taxi: 上海市 长宁区 番禺路 390 号RED390二楼M座 , 时代大厦二楼近法华镇路
    ♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥

  9. Asia Blue 🏳️‍🌈🥃

    My opinion  Shanghai Gay Venue Asia Blue
    Comfort Gold StarGold StarGold StarGold Star
    Int’l Quality Gold StarGold Star
    Value for $$ Gold StarGold Star
    Staff English Gold StarGold Star
    Crowd Size Gold Star

    A local and very gay bar with camp decor and massive bar under an umbrella of high-tech LED rods, across the hall from TEN Club and gets residual benefit of TEN Club customers escaping the bopping. Asia Blue is the city’s oldest gay bar brand (having originally founded itself on Gaolan Lu 20 years ago, and re-located many, many times) still currently in operation.  Other than owner (and friendly character) Andy Wong, little English is spoken.  Customers are generally a good mix with a couple of regular leeches.  Washroom leave a lot to be desired at times. Lots of dice games, and expect popup karaoke during the night.  9:30pm until daylight, daily.
    WeChat IDWeChat ID : 
    AsiaBlueBar
    2nd Floor, Block M, RED390, 390 Panyu Road, by Fahuazhen Road
    🚖 Taxi: 上海市 长宁区 番禺路 390 号RED390二楼M座 , 时代大厦二楼近法华镇路
    ♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥

  10. Reborn Club 🏳️‍🌈🕺🏼🍾

    My opinion  Shanghai Gay Venue Reborn
    Comfort Gold StarGold Star
    Int’l Quality Gold StarGold StarGold Star
    Value for $$ Gold StarGold Star
    Staff English Gold StarGold Star
    Crowd Size Gold StarGold StarGold Star

    Inside the Yaxin Life Plaza (see map in my image), Reborn has a huge 1,000 sqM dance floor augmented with a good sound & lighting system. A bar runs the length of the dance floor, and according to friends, the atmosphere is energy and enthusiasm which gives this potential. Alas, their marketing tends to be overly cautious towards making it straight friendly, but it is what it is, a new gay club.  Focussed on VIP bottle sales. For various reasons, subject to (very) regular government closures.  Check their WeChat to ensure open.  From 10pm.
    WeChat IDWeChat ID : REBORN 悦蹦
    3rd Floor, Yaxin Life Plaza, 401 Changshou Lu (at Changde Lu), PuTuo
    🚖 Taxi: 亚新生活广场 上海市普陀区长寿路401号 (常德路口)
    ♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥

  11. HUNT Bar 🏳️‍🌈🎯🌐🧸🚭

    My opinion  Shanghai Gay Venue HUNT bar
    Comfort Gold StarGold StarGold StarGold StarGold Star
    Int’l Quality Gold StarGold StarGold StarGold Star
    Value for $$ Gold StarGold Star
    Staff English Gold StarGold StarGold StarGold Star
    Crowd Size Gold StarGold StarGold Star

    Expect cover charge with all-you-can-drink happy hours, ‘drag’ performances, drag bingo, TV nights, pop-up art shows and an eclectic mix of expat and local customers with lots of muscle bears looking for friends, with tolerable music levels inviting actual conversation. Daytime in summer months, HUNT Cafe in front alley.  Follow the official WeChat for details of what seems like daily different events:
    WeChat IDWeChat ID : HUNTShanghai
    42 Xingfu Road, by Fahuazhen Road

    🚖 Taxi: 上海市 长宁区幸福路42号, 近法华镇路
    ♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥

  12. The Palace 🌈🕺🏼

    My opinion  Palace Club Shanghai Gay Guide
    Comfort Gold StarGold StarGold Star
    Int’l Quality Gold Star
    Value for $$ Gold StarGold Star
    Staff English Gold StarGold Star
    Crowd Size Gold StarGold Star

    Drag and show bar across street from Roxie, next door to The Shed.  Mix of young foreigners and Chinese. Used to be UP Shanghai, the urban-chic nightclub, it’s hard to pin down, but they play music, sell food and drinks,  the lighting makes everything look like a music video, and the bathroom cubicles are lit with pink and purple neon. Closes at random times, in the 2023 post COVID new gayborhood at Shaanxi North Rd and Kanding Rd.  
    WeChat IDWeChat ID :TBA

    2nd floor, 688 Shaanxi North Road, Jing’an, near Kangding Lu
    Jing’an Temple, Jing’an District
    🚖 Taxi: 陕西北路688号2楼
    ♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚤♥⚤♥⚤♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥

  13. Rice Bar 🏳️‍🌈🌐🚭🥃

    My opinion  Shanghai Gay Venue rice bar
    Comfort Gold StarGold StarGold StarGold Star
    Int’l Quality Gold StarGold StarGold Star
    Value for $$ Gold StarGold Star
    Staff English Gold StarGold Star
    Crowd Size Gold Star

    A quiet local non-smoking bar for over a decade, largely for the younger Chinese gay crowd.  Primarily talking and meeting friends.  Everyone is almost guaranteed conversation at least, but each out the challenging staircase.  Lots of dice games.  8pm until late. Ask for Chinese, Japanese and English speaking owner Takuya.
    📋 See my review for more details, photos & maps.
    WeChat IDWeChat ID : RiceBar
    532 Fahuazhen Lu, near Dingxi Lu, Changning
    🚖 Taxi: 长宁区法华镇路532号, 近定西路
    ♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥

  14. Cotton’s (Gay-friendly) 🌈🌐🍽

    My opinion  Shanghai Gay Venue Cottons
    Comfort Gold StarGold StarGold StarGold Star
    Int’l Quality Gold StarGold StarGold StarGold StarGold Star
    Value for $$ Gold StarGold StarGold Star
    Staff English Gold StarGold StarGold StarGold Star
    Crowd Size Gold StarGold StarGold StarGold Star

    This restaurant cum bar, has a large outdoor smoking-friendly seating area, including a lovely pagoda, in the grounds of its renovated heritage building. Great for dinner and drinks with friends in a relaxed garden environment under the canopy of well-lit trees, with a mix of gay and gay-friendly mostly very good staff.  Ask for owner Cotton Ding who is fluent in English.
    WeChat IDWeChat ID : gh_cb61986c073a
    294 Xinhua Lu,near Dingxi Lu
    🚖 Taxi: 新华路294号, 近定西路
    ♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥⚤♥⚤♥⚤♥⚣♥⚣♥⚣♥

+ Closed (past) Spaces

Gone, closed, bankrupt, kaput, shut down… but remembered, some of the major gay venues in Shanghai in my time, in no particular order… Lollipop, 44kw, A+ House Bar, Swag Bar, 88 Cafe & Bar, Icon195, Lucca, Club Deep, M Cafe, Hunter Bar, Eddys, Shanghai Studio, No. 7 Coffee & Juice Bar, Home Bar, G KTV, Transit Lounge (now Lollipop), D2, Box Bar, Therapy Lounge, Angel, Footloose, Blendi Coffee & Boys Cafe, Icon, Home Bar, SAO+HAUS, BoBo’s, Frangipani Bar & Restaurant, Candor, G8, Trio (moved in June to new location), ICON (Shanghai Stadium)Trend Cafe, Il Vino, HIRO House (Kanding Lu), Eddy’s (Jing’an), Vogue at Kevins, D9, Rainbow Cafe, Focus Club. Nine Elements, Inferno, L’Alcove Restaurant, Therapy Club, Panda Club, Studio 2006, Telephone 6, Club Obama, Club BoBo, Transit Bar (Xingguo Mansion), LG, Datong Mills Lounge, Kevins Thai Restaurant, Happiness 42 (now HUNT), Repaly (we think they meant Replay), 390 (the original), COMO, BELLO, Riink (version 1), Pink Home and my personal all time favorite Space Bar.

+ Gay China Notes


A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF CHINESE SUPPORT LEGALISATION OF GAY MARRIAGE THAN AMERICANS

Being gay was decriminalized in 1997, and removed from the Chinese Society of Psychiatry’s list of mental illnesses in 2001.  In December 2019, when Central Government was soliciting national opinions on a future draft of the civil code on marriage and family, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress survey of 9.9 million Chinese respondents via the Phoenix Network found 67.34% (6.67 million people) support same-sex marriage (compared to 61% of Americans in a Pew Research poll) with a further 2.19% (218k people) not caring, but some gay Chinese THINK they face what they believe to be a social stigma, particularly with their parents who are expecting family heirs.

LGBTTQQIAA Code ExplainerForget the ever growing long string of letters “LGBTTQQIAAP+” etc… — nearly all Chinese simply, politely, use the word “gay” for anyone non-hetero, which is an upgrade from the proliferation of confusing hidden colloquial terms such as “passion of Longyang” (lóngyángpǐ 龙阳癖), “the passion of the cut sleeve” (duànxiù zhī pǐ 断袖之癖), or “the divided peach” (fēntáo 分桃). Other terms have included “male trend” (nánfēng 男風), “allied brothers” (xiānghuǒ xiōngdì 香火兄弟).  The formal modern word for “homosexuality” is tongxinglian  (同性戀); ‘same-sex relations/love‘) or abbreviated to “tongzhi” (同志) which means “comrade“. Another slang term is “datong” (大同) meaning great togetherness or utopia. Lesbians usually call themselves “lala” (拉拉).

Brothers, Sisters, Uncles, Aunts, Mums & Dads

Gay Chinese Social Family TreePrepare to be confused by a somewhat endearing trend in gay social circles of cross-referring to friends as brothers, sisters, uncles, mums and dads etc…  As gay friends meet, they often create their new social family circle of adopting these words to refer to one another, and typically, in opposite gender roles.  For example, an older gay man be referred to as the ‘mummy‘ to a ‘sister‘ which is actually a slightly younger gay man, who have a younger friend they regularly go out drinking with that they call their ‘daughter‘.   Their lesbian friend may be their ‘brother‘.  You get the idea.  Makes for some confusing, yet fun friendships as you build out your family or be incorporated into other ‘family’ groups.

For example within my Chinese social circle, I am daddy to some, sister to many, uncle to most, and daughter to one friend.  Yet within my own foreigner social circle, I am brother to many, and daddy to one.  To confuse matters, I also have a Chinese friend that within the bar scene, he prefers to be called an androgynous ‘Ninja’ since he considers himself invisible at times, and at other times, insists I call him ‘Ironman’ when he feels overly confident and fearless (typically when he is drunk).  At all times he calls me ‘Uncle Bro‘.

Some Common Gay Expressions

  • Chitudoude (吃土豆的)
    Literally meaning ‘eats potatoes,’ this refers to a gay Chinese person who has a case of white boy/girl fever, and thus tends to only date Caucasians. There are also ‘rice eaters,’ ‘sushi eaters’ and more, depending on your cuisine of choice.
  • Chugui (出柜)
    To come out of the closet. ‘Gui’ literally means ‘cupboard,’ but we’ll refrain from making food puns, for example, “Did you hear? That fine piece of potato is finally out of the cupboard.”
  • Kong (控)
    Kong means fetish in Chinese gay subculture. It can be combined with almost anything. Call someone “Dashu [uncle] Kong,” and it means someone who’s into older men; “Xiong [bear] Kong” means someone who’s into chubby and hairy “bears.”
  • Lala (拉拉)
    Lesbian. A phonetic adaptation of the English term.
  • Niang (娘)
    Sissy or effeminate. e.g., “He’s cute, but he’s gone a bit heavy on the eyeliner. A bit ‘niang’ for my taste.”
  • Tongzhi (同志)
    Homosexual. Literally meaning ‘comrade,’ tongzhi was a term bandied about heavily during the Cultural Revolution. It had been appropriated by the gay community to refer to same-sex comrades in the bedroom.
  • Xiao Gong (小攻)
    Xiao Gong refers to the person who “gives” in gay sex (commonly described around the world as a “1″ or “top”). The term Xiao Gong originated from Chinese gay romance novels and Japanese gay animations.
  • Xiao Shou (小受)
    The opposite of Xiao Gong, Xiao Shou is the one who “takes” in gay sex (also known as a “0” or the “bottom”). However, this term can also be used to refers to the guy who is in a more feminine role and needs to be taken care of in a relationship.

+ Gay Shanghai Notes 

There are also numerous gay dance halls meetings, KTV’s, sauna, gyms and other similar meeting places, but since the vast majority of these are frequented by 99% Chinese only, or just covers for sexual hookups, so I won’t go into detail.

Generally, the Shanghai bar scene is very old-school, about a decade behind major international cities, and split between dance clubs with live DJ’s interrupted with really bad ‘drag’ shows.  Personally, I found that the smaller the bar, the higher quality fun can be had.

Drag Queens Sassy Brassy ClassyWeirdly, in Shanghai, they consider drag to make oneself look more like a women (aka cross-dressing transvestite look), sadly popularized by the TV show RuPaul’s Drag Race which vies for straight audience Neilson ratings by having 80% of their cast / characters perpetuating this form, rather than for the more traditional fun of the comedy send-up, popularized by Hasty Pudding over 100 years ago, and evolved to hilarious effect globally since as sassy, brassy and sometimes classy.

Surprisingly (and joyfully), you CAN find good drag performers and shows in some smaller cities such as Nanning and Chengdu – in both of these cities, I’ve also witnessed real singers (not lip-syncing) dressed in hilarious drag, providing great fun for their gay bar audiences.  (think deep voices, hairy armpits, lipstick smears, 1 boob dangling out, 1 eyelash upside down, and a sassy comedic personality as they sit on the bar wearing a massively oversized hat with a miniature of their city on it, and call out fun gay vulgarities (in a mix of Chinese, Thai, Japanese and English) throughout the night.

Further, cocktail bars generally serve a mix of fake/real booze (fake booze is not typically the fault of the bar owners, more a problem with unscrupulous distributors) — general rule of thumb, drink bottled drinks or top shelf liquor and avoid mixed drinks from the bar well.

Also, in smaller more local bars, expect ‘talking boys‘ who expect you to pay for their services with drinks and tips.  You will quickly learn about how to identify and deal with them.

Most of the bars have at least one staff member that can speak some level of English, but be prepared in the smaller bars to have patience and use WeChat translation, while keeping your requests simple.

Method of payment is typically by scanning QR code for WeChat or Alipay.

Additionally, for privacy concerns, there is a growing trend in most international quality bars to not allow selfies or video photography (a good thing), for fear of people posting these on Weibo, WeChat Moments, TikTok or other places without all identifiable individuals in the photos/video prior consent. Use common sense, support the bar rules, remember you are a guest, and use caution with regards to other peoples privacy.

Lastly, I do not support the “Shanghai LGBT” organization that postures itself as if representing and serving the community. It is largely run by foreigners, is overly focussed on the bar scene, and provides no transparency for fundraising dollars received. When, and if, a proper organization is established by local Chinese, that maintains open accountability and supports government advocacy / lobbying work with proper non-bar only orientated efforts, I will support.

+ Gay apps

The vast majority of the Shanghai gay community avoid the gay scene entirely and connect with each via apps, or circles of friends in dedicated WeChat groups, and typically visit private homes or restaurants / coffee shops to meet and get together. While all below are commonly used, favored apps currently include Blued, TanTan, Tinder, Grindr and Badoo.

Some, but not all, require VPN or similar work-a-round, depending on the typical combination of your location, internet service provider and government rating of the internet access account holder (generally foreign passport or local Chinese ID card).

Gay apps in China

The most popular Chinese gay app, by far, is Blued, which has 24 million users in China as of 2020 (Blued also offers WeChat-like automatic translation). Tantan (known as the Chinese Tinder, but no translation, no copy/paste, no screenshots and overly strict on non-Chinese content) is growing in popularity. Some, such as Grindr, Blued & TanTan are Chinese owned/controlled. Romeo & Fridae are typically extremely popular outside the mainland in S.E. Asia – particularly in Thailand, Philippines, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Cambodia.  GayDar only with UK expats.

There are also a huge array of WeChat groups dedicated to certain aspect of LGBT life, ranging from professional business groups such as WeChat ID WorkForLGBT to Chinese only GayLife groups or which there are hundreds in Shanghai alone.

+ Chinese Gay History

The Legend of the “Cut Sleeve”

Passion of the Cut Sleeve scrollThe Passion of the Cut Sleeve” is an Ancient Chinese story depicting gay love and desire. So what is the story, and why is it so important?  Homosexuality is not a new phenomenon nor a ‘Western invention’. Since human beings have existed, gay life has been present in all races, all countries and all cultures.

This tale tells the story of the second to last Emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Emperor Ai (汉哀帝) (27BC – 1BC) and his lover, Dong Xian (董贤) a politician & minor imperial secretary.  The story, told in ‘The Book of Han’, describes how the couple often took naps together on the same straw mat.  One day, the Emperor woke up he realised his lover had fallen asleep on the sleeve of his robe. The Emperor didn’t want to wake the peaceful Dong Xian. Therefore he cut the sleeve from his robe off so as not to disturb Dong Xian and left the room silently.  When the Emperor suddenly died of illness in 1BC, Dong Xian was forced to commit suicide.  The phrase ‘the passion of the cut sleeve’ (‘断袖之癖’ / duàn xiù zhī pǐ) is often used to refer to male same-sex love in Chinese culture.

Same-sex love existed in Ancient China.

It is also clear that it wasn’t stigmatised in the same way as it is today. China boasts a long history of homosexuality, with official records stretching back more than 25 centuries. Gay relationships seem to have been particularly commonplace among aristocrats and literary elites before the Han dynasty.

Tuer Shen Rabbit GodChina was more gay progressive, thanks to Christian morality, than Europe.  During the Qing Dynasty, the locals began worshipping a Taoist deity known as Tù’er Shén (兔儿神), who served as the guardian of same-sex love. Flourishing in Fujian Province, a rabbit-worshipping religious sect worshipped Tù’er Shén whose name literally means Baby Rabbit God.

There are, of course, many references to same-sex love in Chinese history. There’s the story of Longyang, who wept in fear that King Anxi of Wei might leave him for a more beautiful man, prompting the king to forbid any mention of other beauties under penalty of death. Or Mizi Xia, who shared half a peach with his lover Duke Ling of Wei.

To this day, same-sex love is known in China as either gay or “the passion of Longyang” (lóngyángpǐ 龙阳癖), “the passion of the cut sleeve” (duànxiù zhī pǐ 断袖之癖), or “the divided peach” (fēntáo 分桃).

See “Gay Emperors in Chinese History: Five love stories about ancient monarchs and their male confidantes“:
https://www.theworldofchinese.com/2019/06/gay-emperors-in-chinese-history

Modern History

After the Proclamation of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 until the late 1970s, outgoing gay life was suppressed.  Only in 1997 was it legalized. On December 31, 2015, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television through it’s China Television Drama Production Industry Association posted new guidelines, including a ban on showing queer relationships on TV.

In March 2017, the National People’s Congress amended Chinese law so that “all adults of full capacity are given the liberty of appointing their own guardians by mutual agreement.”  Since October 2017, China has granted same-sex couples various legal rights, which permits same-sex partners to make decisions about medical, personal care, death, funeral, property management, and maintenance of rights and interests. In case one partner loses the ability to make crucial decisions (i.e. mental or physical illness or accident), his or her guardian may decide for them in their best interest. Their legal relationship can also include wealth and inheritance, or pension, depending on which additional legal documents the couple decides to sign, such as a will. Some notary offices require couples to have lived together for several years or that both partners are out to their families as requirements to sign such an agreement.

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