BEIJING -- area code (86-10)

Everyone you meet in Beijing will tell you how much the city has changed in recent years. While not as radical as the space-age transformation of Shanghai, solemn Beijing is slowly re-furbishing its historical and cultural assets as it upgrades its infrastructure. The official "color" of Beijing, gray (!), is being blended with warmer pastels, and garden landscaping is optimistically employed to combat the pollution and dust.

The population is is approaching 20 million (that's nearly a million Utopians).

Peking Man

Beijing is bursting with young men, and the abundance of good looking soldiers and policemen is stimulating to say the least. While a lot of fun can be had flirting with friendly locals, Beijing is not a place for abundant nightlife or a quickie holiday romance ("419" in contemporary local gay slang, as in "for one night"). Educated gays tend to socialize in small circles of friends, visiting bars and saunas only occasionally and in groups. If you are able to make a local friend, then you'll have an inroad to meeting the single men in their network, although this may take more time than a visitor on vacation will have. More conservative in his approach to finding the right partner, Peking Man is not about to "jump into the river of love" on a whim.

Many locals caution that bars, saunas and parks are filled with "MBs" (moneyboys) on the prowl - mostly needy men from other provinces. If the men you meet don't have a job and come from elsewhere in the country, you can assume they are looking for financial assistance.

Never-the-less, a number of gay venues have found a steady clientele and signs indicate that the emerging middle class will shortly experience an explosion of lifestyle opportunities that accompanies growing economic power around the country.

• Beijing Gay Scene Updates message forum
• Lesbian listings
• Men in Beijing message forum
• If you're traveling to Beijing, there are some charming Beijing luxury hotels to visit that are very accommodating. While they are beautiful, luxury hotels aren't for everyone. You can find great, cheap hotels in Beijing as well, so you can travel to China on any budget.

The Utopia Guide to China (2nd Edition) is an expanded and updated guidebook to the gay and lesbian scene in 50 Chinese cities including Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. Included are bars, discos, spas, and restaurants. Enjoy hundreds of savvy comments and recommendations from local Utopians and travelers. Click here to order

MANifesto 57 Nanchizi Dajie, 010-65-245-8850, email. MANifesto is Beijing's first retailer of premium men's underwear, swimwear and fitness gear. Just 7 minutes walk north from Exit B of the Tiananmen East Subway Station (near the Forbidden City). Check out the latest sexy designs from international brands such as C-IN2, N2N, DT Underwear, Ajaxx63 and Private Structure. Be sure to ask the cutie store manager, Jason, to show you the goods. Open 2-10pm Tue-Sun. 南池子大街57号 Utopia Member Discount

• BGLAD
  Beijing Gay, Lesbian, and Allies Discussion is for those belonging to or wishing to support the gay/lesbian/bi/trans community in Beijing. Multicultural and multisexual, their aim is to bring these individuals together in a safe space that is supportive, friendly, and really FUN. They meet every 1st and 3rd Sun of the month in Sanlitun and welcome non-Chinese to join in.
• Promen
  An English-speaking gay professional social network for those who are tired of weekend clubing. They meet every Thu and encourage activities such as sports, music, sightseeing, movies and home gatherings.

  Comments from Utopians:

  "Promen has moved from the LAN Club to Maison Boulud restaurant, which is located at 23 Qian Men Dong Da Jie, on the eastern side of the Tiananmen Square." -- labello27, Jul 20, 2008

Purple Dragon 119/5-10 Surawong Rd, Bangkok, (662) 238-3227, FAX (662) 634-0292, email. Asia's oldest and largest gay tour company offers hundreds of options using local English-speaking guides throughout Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), India, China, Singapore and Bhutan. Specializes in programs focusing on culture, cuisine, adventure and aesthetic improvement programs. Utopia Member Discount

Click here for Beijing hotels and accommodations.

Click here for Beijing bars and clubs.

Click here for Beijing discos.

Click here for Beijing karaoke.

Click here for Beijing Massage and Spas for Men.

• Beijing Lido Holiday Inn Hotel lobby
• outside Diaoyutai guest house
• Dongdan Park (beware of hustlers in extortion gangs)
• Liu Pu Kang Park
• Mu Dan Yuan
  This small park incorporates a stretch of old city wall and winding garden paths along an ancient trade canal. It is absolutely buzzing with activity, even on chillier nights, but especially in warm weather. The scene attracts men of all ages including many students from nearby universities. Some wander the gardens below while those who are more limber climb to the top of the timeworn fortification, now a spine of earth covered in trees. About 25 minutes by cab from the CBD.
• outside main gate of Beida
• San Li He Park
• Starbucks by Pacific Center
• Tiananmen Square and nearby park
• cruising space near the lake on the Tsinghua campus: find the bigger of the two lakes (they are separated by a street). Prime cruising ground is the dark lane south of the facilities, but the whole lake is cruisy.
• University areas
• near Wenhua He Yuyan Daxue
• The Wudaokou area is suprisingly nice, busy and very cruisy. The small cafés and bars are full of university guys eager to talk and make new friends.

• Bellagio (Taiwanese cuisine)
  6 Gongti Xi St, 010-6551-3533. This large and modern restaurant attracts trendy gays as it lies directly across from Destination disco. Beijingers really enjoy the Taiwanese-style desserts on offer here.
• Fu Jia Luo (Beijing and rural specialties)
  23 Dong Si Shi Tiao, 8403-7831. Great noodles and country-style cooking! Handsome young waiters in traditional folk garb run around shouting orders and refilling your tea cup from giant copper kettles. The food is fantastic, so please don't order fried rice and sweet-and-sour-something. Instead, try the fresh savory pancakes stuffed with spiced meat, sweet and crunchy lotus, fabulous roasted and grilled meats and fresh vegetable salads Beijing style.
• Golden Barn (tea)
  52 San Li Tun South St (east side), Chaoyang District, 6507-0192, 6502-5142. Next door to G&L Secret Garden and Pink Loft (see below). Upscale tea house with folksy/modern interior (furnishings and lamps are for sale). Large collection of Chinese and English books to read. Interesting flower and herbal teas, plus snacks. Groups of gay friends come here to play cards and chat. Very cozy and great service from attentive staff.
• Han Tsang (Fujian cuisine)
  Hohai Lake (in back of Beihai Park), 6404-2259. Indoor and outdoor dining. The place is packed which is a good reflection on its tasty Fujian specialties like roast chicken, duck, and spicy eggplant. Very close to all the trendy little bars springing up in the nearby local hutong.
• Pianyifang Roast Duck Restaurant
  G/F Hademen Hotel (opposite the New World Center) and another branch on 3/F of the second phase of the New World Shopping Center (with the ice rink in the atrium). This is one of the two most famous Beijing roast duck restuarants. The most expensive duck on the menu is cooked inside a pot rather than roasted in the oven and supposedly has a more exquisite flavor. Crispy roasted is cheaper and plenty good. 便宜坊烤鸭店
• Pink Loft (Thai and Asian)
  6 San Li Tun South St (east side), Chaoyang District, 6506-8811. Next door to G&L Secret Garden and Golden Barn (see above). Trend-setting new eatery on multi-levels with fabulous interior design featuring electric magenta detailing as its name suggests. This restaurant and its two neighbors are a bright spot on Beijing's nightlife scene. Popular and expensive by local standards.
• Tianjin Baijiaoyuan Catering Franchise Co Ltd (dumplings and Chinese)
  12 Jia Xin Wenhua St, West District, 010-6605-9375. Don't let the name fool you, this is one of Beijing's best dumpling restaurants with a menu featuring over 100 types of dumplings, from healthful herb and vegetarian versions to spicy dog meat. The menu is very easy, with both pictures of the ingrediants for each and English descriptions.

  Comments from Utopians:

  "EIFE French Bakery and Café is a new gay friendly cafe in Soho CBD. Great selection of pastries, breads, sandwiches, coffee, tea, juices and beer. The manager is a very friendly person who speaks English and welcomes gay patrons. A nice, relaxing place to sit and chat or meet up. Has two floors and outdoor patio. In Sunshine 100 apartments tower A on G/F across from Blue Castle. Nice to have a neighborhood meeting place." -- alwysredee, Jun 2, 2008

Click here for Beijing saunas for men.

• Baby Blue Adult Shop
  268-91 Renmin Rd, FengTai Dist, email. Gay and lesbian-friendly shop providing high quality adult products at the reasonable prices. Baby Blue understands the private nature of such products and guarantees your privacy. Utopia Member Discount
• Nanluoguxiang
  South Luogu Lane is a revitalized traditional merchant street running through one of the best preserved hutong (traditional urban housing area) districts in China. New shops, cafés, beer bars and boutiques line this avenue and side streets beg to be explored.