By evening, Changchun's streets fill with people heading out to eat, and the city's student population gives the centre a young, informal energy. Beer is cheap and widely available, and in summer many small restaurants serve draft beer alongside food.
Nightlife here is not built around a single strip or a polished entertainment district. It is spread across a handful of streets and venues where locals, students and foreign residents mix, and it suits visitors who prefer a low-key evening of beer, barbecue and conversation over a structured night of clubs.
Where to go out in Changchun
1. Longli Lu (隆礼路)
This street carries the city's main bar and club scene, and it is at its busiest on weekends. Beer here is cheap, at roughly ¥6 a cup according to the source, which makes it an easy place to move between venues over the course of an evening.
It suits anyone wanting a lively, crowded night without committing to one venue. Note that the source describes the scene as it was at the time of writing and does not confirm which individual places remain open.
2. The Guilin Lu section
This area, around Changqing Jie and Guilin Hutong, has a smaller-scale bar character. One bar named in the source, Ferryport, is described as a small, dark place with music in the evenings that draws both locals and foreigners.
It suits a quieter start to the night or a break from the busier end of town. Treat the named venue as a description of the area's style rather than a guarantee it is still trading.
3. Western-style pubs
Changchun has a number of western-style pubs, several of them clustered near universities and popular with foreign teachers, students and English- or Russian-speaking residents. The Happy Home, near Mayflower 2 and about a kilometre west of the Northeast Normal University Station on Metro Line 1, is described as a default meeting place for that crowd.
This suits a sociable, comfortable evening where conversation matters more than the venue. The source does not state current opening hours or whether these places still operate.
4. Club-style venues
For a later, louder night, the source points to club-style bars such as Mayflower Bar, which it describes as having two rooms, a live show daily from 21:00 and a DJ playing disco afterwards, with hip-hop in the smaller inner room. Classic Bar on Xian Dalu is described as only getting going around midnight.
This suits people who want to stay out late. Hours and line-ups are as recorded in the source and may have changed.
5. Beer-focused and themed bars
Some venues trade on a specific character rather than a scene. Old Ship Bar is described as being housed in a small wooden sailing ship, serving beer alongside indoor barbecue for seafood and other grilled food. German Brauhaus serves Flensburger beer exclusively, with western food available.
These suit a slower evening built around eating and drinking in one place. Prices and menus are as the source records them.
How a night out unfolds
The source gives limited detail on timing. Live shows at one club-style venue begin at 21:00, and at least one bar is described as not filling up until around midnight, which suggests a late-running night for club-goers. Elsewhere, the pattern is simply beer with food in the evening, with summer being the season for draft beer at small restaurants.
Festivals and events worth timing a trip around
- National Day and the National Day Golden Week holiday — early October
- Double Ninth Festival — October
- Christmas Day — December
- New Year's Day — January
- Spring Festival Eve and Chinese New Year — February
Frequently asked questions
What is there to drink in Changchun?
Beer is described as the cheapest and safest option, available almost anywhere. A big bottle of around 630 ml should cost between ¥3 and ¥6. In summer, many small restaurants serve good draft beer, with black beer (黑啤) noted as particularly good.
Which local beers might I come across?
Huadan, Jinshibai and Yinpu are brewed in Jilin Province, and Harbin beers and Bing Chuan from the Korean prefecture of Jilin Province are also available.
Where do foreign residents tend to go?
The Happy Home is described as the default meeting place for many foreign teachers and other young English- or Russian-speaking people. Occasional parties are organised by groups such as "Changchun Friends" or foreign teachers, usually with their own music.
Is there anywhere to go in the early evening?
South Lake Park is described as a safe place to wander in the early evening, and it is free. In winter the frozen lake is used for skating.
Decide whether you want a quiet beer or a late night, pick the corresponding part of the city, and plan your evening around it.