of the city, but here, in the shadows of some of the world’s tallest buildings, others refuse to go without a fight, hanging on for as long as possible to their home and their history. But what of Shanghai’s younger residents; how do they unwind after another day spent pushing paper at an office desk, serving up Caffe Latte Grandes in Starbucks or manning the counter for a 12 hour shift in Family Mart? What occurs after dark in this city whose notorious past conjures up images of slick haired playboys, shady gangsters, glamorous flappers, sultry nightclub hostesses and brawling drunken sailors? Well, the intoxicated sailors might have shipped out, but come nightfall when the neon illuminates the night sky and the music starts pumping, the city streets, bars and rooftops become reminiscent of Shanghai in her heyday. Despite their city’s exotically decadent past, however, a lot of younger Chinese are not given to kicking up their heels and partying into the small hours. For many, a typical night sees nothing wilder than a (usually alcohol-free) dinner with friends in a local hot pot restaurant followed by an evening spent playing online games, chatting to friends via instant messenger or tuning into the latest thrilling installment of a Korean soap opera. But Shanghai’s salacious charms have managed to entice many of their peers and there is a myriad of both Chinese and Western style restaurants, bars, pubs and clubs for those who like their evenings with a hearty dash of hedonism. And if it’s hedonism you’re after, Shanghai won’t disappoint. In enormous, brightly lit, red and gold restaurants hoards of middle aged Chinese men and women cluster around tables to eat, drink and be exceedingly merry. Room temperature beer and the throat-burning, eye-watering local white spirit baijiu (literally, white alcohol) fuel the fun, leaving the tables and floors strewn with the debris of another good night out. The Chinese have a word for this kind of atmosphere, renao, meaning ‘hot and noisy’ and that is just the way they like it. There’ll be no candlelit tables, velvet drapes or romantic tables for two in these restaurants, thank you very much! As wages rise and many Chinese are earning much more money than before, the accession of the middle class has seen many people eschewing more traditional establishments and forms of entertainment for a night on the tiles. Whilst Shanghai has a prodigious amount of places to grab a drink, the clubs fall firmly into one of two categories: Chinese style or Western style. A typical club catering for a local crowd is an eye-opening experience and something that should be succumbed to at least once. Any party animal whose idea of a night out to remember involves crystal chandeliers, bizarre live dance performances, waiters dressed in checked golfing outfits (complete with matching cloth cap), sharks (in tanks), Jules Verne Steampunk style interiors, LOTS of strobe lights, gallons of whisky and green tea (mixed), ear-splitting pop music mash-ups and the clatter of dice games will be ecstatically happy with the local club scene. |
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