By early evening the towers of the Central Business District are lit, the drum and bell towers stand quiet above the hutong rooftops, and the first drinkers drift out along the bar streets. Later, the theatres empty into the night and the alleys fill with people looking for a last cup of tea or a cold beer.
Beijing's nightlife is spread across distinct clusters rather than concentrated in one quarter, so the shape of your evening depends on which part of the city you choose. Some areas are long established and busy; others are quieter and more local. It suits visitors who are happy to move between districts, and who want traditional performance, tea, coffee and bars to be part of the same trip.
Where to go out in Beijing
1. Sanlitun
Sanlitun, in Chaoyang District, has been the centre of Beijing nightlife for a long time and holds the city's largest concentration of bars. It is also the hub of Beijing's LGBT community and home to the largest concentration of gay bars in the city.
It suits a full, busy night out with plenty of choice within walking distance. Note that the bars here sit in clusters rather than along one continuous strip.
2. Workers Stadium
The area around Workers Stadium, in Chaoyang District and adjacent to Sanlitun, has clubs lining the east side of the stadium complex.
This suits anyone who wants clubs specifically rather than bars, and it can be combined with Sanlitun in a single evening because the two are next to each other.
3. Nanluoguxiang and the surrounding hutongs
Nanluoguxiang and the surrounding hutongs, in Dongcheng District, sit in the middle of the hutong area of the Gulou neighbourhood, east of the Drum and Bell Towers. Bars here are hard to locate within a maze of alleys, and finding them is described as one of the unique pleasures of nightlife in Beijing.
This suits a slower, more exploratory evening rather than a planned route from venue to venue. Expect to walk and to double back.
4. Wudaokou
Wudaokou, in Haidian District, is the hangout spot for foreign and local university students. Its bar street is anchored by a 7-11, with drinkers milling about outside.
It suits a casual, student-oriented night and is the most informal of the main clusters.
5. Houhai
Houhai, in Xicheng District, is a bar area on Houhai Lake, west of the Bell and Drum Towers. It was once thriving, but its popularity has faded since the 2000s.
It suits a quieter evening, or one built around the lake and the surrounding streets rather than around a crowd.
6. Hutong cafés and teahouses
Within the Second Ring Road you will find cafés tucked into the hutong alleyways. Dongsi North Road in Dongcheng District is a wide street lined with cafés, and the alleys branching off it hold more. Further north, Wudaoying Hutong is a long, narrow pedestrian street of small cafés focused on high-quality coffee, along with shops and restaurants, and is described as the most relaxed pedestrian street in Beijing. In Xicheng District, the hutongs around Miaoying Temple have cafés with rooftop terraces looking towards the pagoda.
Teahouses cluster around the historic Qianhai Hutong, with an ambience of old wooden houses and interiors decorated with tea cups and bowls. The Qianmen area south of Tiananmen Square is also known for its tea houses, where you can try different tea ceremonies and tastings. Quality and price vary significantly between establishments, and some are genuine cultural experiences while others are aimed at extracting money from tourists. Always ask the price before ordering.
7. Theatres and concert halls
Beijing Opera is the most popular style of traditional Chinese opera nationwide, with elaborate face paint, distinctly Chinese costumes, singing and music, and simple plots drawn from stories set in ancient China. Some theatres provide English surtitles. Places to watch it include Huguang Guild Hall, Liyuan Theatre and the Mei Lanfang Grand Theatre in Xicheng District, and Chang'an Grand Theatre in Dongcheng District. Acrobatics shows are found at Tianqiao Acrobatics Theatre in Xicheng District and Chaoyang Theatre in Chaoyang District. Contemporary Chinese drama is popular, with the Capital Theatre in Dongcheng District and Century Theater in Chaoyang District among the better-known venues, though Western plays are rarely performed.
Classical music is also widely performed. The National Centre for the Performing Arts in Xicheng District offers opera, music and theatre, and its building is worth seeing even without a ticket. Other options include the Century Theater and Beijing Concert Hall in Xicheng District.
8. Baijiu and beer
Baijiu is the quintessential Chinese spirit, usually distilled from grains such as sorghum. Maotai is considered the national liquor and is highly regarded, with prices starting at around ¥1,500; the Maotai store at the Westin Beijing Financial Street, facing Wudinghou Street on the first floor, carries an extensive range. Wuliangye, at around ¥1,000, is smoother and may be more approachable for newcomers. Erguotou is a strong, inexpensive baijiu sold at convenience stores in 500ml bottles under the red star brand.
For beer, Tsingtao and Yanjing are the common choices, with Yanjing being Beijing's own locally produced brew. Craft beer drinkers have local microbreweries including Great Leap Brewing and Slowboat, with a Great Leap location in the hutongs near Gulou.
How a night out unfolds
The sources do not set out a timetable for eating, going out or how late venues run in Beijing. What they do show is that an evening can be built in stages: a performance or a tea house earlier, then a bar cluster, with the clusters spread far enough apart that you should decide on one or two areas rather than trying to cover the city in a single night. Tea houses and cafés suit couples and families, while the bar and club areas suit groups and later hours.
Festivals and events worth timing a trip around
- National Day and the National Day holiday period, 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
Which area should I choose for a first night out?
Sanlitun in Chaoyang District has been the centre of Beijing nightlife for a long time and has the largest concentration of bars, which makes it the most straightforward choice. Workers Stadium, next to it, has clubs along the east side of the stadium complex if you want to continue.
Where can I hear traditional Chinese music and performance?
Beijing Opera is performed at Huguang Guild Hall, Liyuan Theatre and the Mei Lanfang Grand Theatre in Xicheng District, and at Chang'an Grand Theatre in Dongcheng District. Acrobatics shows run at Tianqiao Acrobatics Theatre in Xicheng District and Chaoyang Theatre in Chaoyang District, and classical music is performed at the National Centre for the Performing Arts, the Century Theater and Beijing Concert Hall.
Is there anywhere quieter for a drink in the evening?
The hutongs around Miaoying Temple in Xicheng District have cafés with rooftop terraces, and Wudaoying Hutong in Dongcheng District is a relaxed pedestrian street of small coffee-focused cafés. Houhai, on the lake in Xicheng District, is a bar area whose popularity has faded since the 2000s.
What should I know before ordering tea?
Always ask the price before ordering. Quality and price vary significantly between tea houses, some teas cost CNY200 or more, and some establishments are little more than tourist traps.
Decide which cluster suits the evening you want, check what is on at the theatres, and plan your route before you set out.