By early evening the lights come on along the Hao He river, and the fountains begin splashing at around 19:00. From the water you can watch the city's embankments brighten while the day's traffic fades behind you.
Nantong's nightlife is modest and spread out rather than concentrated in one party quarter. It suits visitors who prefer a slow evening on the water, a meal and drinks in a friendly bar, or a look at the rowdier strip near the shipyard, rather than those expecting a large clubbing district.
Where to go out in Nantong
1. The Hao He river by boat
An evening boat trip along the Hao He is the most distinctly local way to spend the early part of the night. You can hire an e-boat for a few hundred yuan, and the trip is worthwhile in the evening, when the lights come on and the fountains go splashing at around 19:00.
It suits couples, families and small groups who want a calm start to the night before eating or drinking. Plan around the 19:00 fountain timing if you want the full effect.
2. The bar strip near Nantong Shipyard
The shipyard area has a row of about twenty bars. Most are aimed at seamen stopping in the port, which makes them a little sleazy, though they have character and can be good fun.
This is the choice for a late, informal, rough-edged night out rather than a polished one. Go with the understanding that the crowd and the atmosphere follow the port traffic.
3. The cluster around Camino on Chengshan Lu
South of the Victoria Hotel on Chengshan Lu, Camino is described as a clean and cheap bar with friendly staff and a wide collection of music, most of it donated by visiting expats. A few doors down is Scotland Bar, with a warm and friendly atmosphere and staff and regulars who give it its character, and a few doors further on is Love Tiger Bar, an attractive place with friendly staff, good film music and room to relax.
This small cluster suits an easy, sociable evening of moving between neighbouring bars without travelling across town. All three sit within a few doors of one another, so you can treat them as a single stop.
4. Angels Bar at Nanda Jie and Haonan Lu
Angels Bar sits on the corner of Nanda Jie and Haonan Lu, a few doors east of the Youfei Hotel inside the MingDu Plaza. Behind the bar is a full assortment of whiskey, vodka, gin, tequila and rum, along with draft and bottled beer and the usual cocktails and shooters.
It suits a longer session: the bar offers free WiFi, a pool table, beer pong, foosball and satellite television, so bringing a laptop and a friend is part of the idea.
5. Haonan Lu, around the Youfei Hotel
Chef Richard Bar and Grill Café is on Haonan Lu, a few doors west of the Youfei Hotel, and serves Western food with free WiFi. Captains Bar and Grill on QingNian Lu, near the SanTeh Hotel, serves Western food with a slant on Mexican and German, and has lunch specials and a nightly happy hour, also with free WiFi.
This stretch suits an early, food-led evening, especially if you want a Western meal before moving on to a bar. Note that the happy hour at Captains is described as running every night.
6. Expat and live-music nights
The Nantong Laowai Mixer at Tiger Tiger is described as a monthly get-together of the local expat community with live music.
If your visit coincides with one, it is the simplest way to meet residents rather than other visitors. Because it is monthly rather than nightly, check locally before building an evening around it.
7. City Hunter
City Hunter is described simply as dingy but friendly.
It suits a low-key drink where atmosphere matters more than polish. Beyond that description, little is recorded, so treat it as a casual stop rather than a destination.
How a night out unfolds
The sources give only a few fixed points. The Hao He fountains go splashing at around 19:00, which makes an early-evening boat trip the natural first move. Bar food is served at lunch and in the evening at Captains Bar and Grill, which also runs a happy hour every night. The shipyard bars cater to seamen stopping in the port, so their rhythm follows ship traffic rather than a fixed schedule. Beyond these details, the sources do not specify when people eat, when bars fill or how late venues stay open.
Festivals and events worth timing a trip around
- National Day and the National Day Golden Week — early October, with the holiday running across the first week of the month.
- Double Ninth Festival — mid-October.
- Christmas Day — 25 December.
- New Year's Day — 1 January.
- Spring Festival Eve and Chinese New Year — early February.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time in the evening to take a boat on the Hao He?
In the evening, when the lights come on and the fountains go splashing at around 19:00. An e-boat can be hired for a few hundred yuan.
Where can I find a row of bars aimed at seamen?
Near Nantong Shipyard, where there is a row of about twenty bars. Most are aimed at seamen stopping in the port, which makes them a little sleazy, though they have character and can be good fun.
Is there anywhere to hear live music?
The Nantong Laowai Mixer at Tiger Tiger is described as a monthly get-together of the local expat community with live music. It is monthly, so it will not be running every night.
Which bars serve Western food?
Captains Bar and Grill on QingNian Lu, near the SanTeh Hotel, serves Western food with a slant on Mexican and German, and Chef Richard Bar and Grill Café on Haonan Lu serves Western food. Both offer free WiFi.
Decide whether your evening starts on the water at 19:00 or at a bar, check the timing of any monthly event, and plan the rest of the night around it.