The Definitive Guide to Clubbing in Shanghai

There is something about Shanghai that you may or may not know, but the nightlife in the city is absolutely off the wall. A combination of a huge population, a growing middle class, non-existent alcohol laws, and an anything goes mentality all contribute to an epic party culture in Shanghai. Actually most of mainland China is like this so this guide applies to more than just Shanghai, but it seems like SH is just the epi-center and focal point of it all. So if you haven't partied in China, you'll be in for a pleasant surprise!

The hottest club in Shanghai right now. No. 88

The clubbing culture in China is unlike any other in the world. If you are a seasoned club-er in America or Europe, you won't quite understand what's going on in China without a little explanation. I'll break down the Shanghai clubbing culture into three sections for easy digestion. Some background info first, some etiquette to ensure a good time, and finally some recommendations on the hottest clubs in the city circa 2010. (New clubs spring up and old clubs close down faster than babies are born in China)

10 Fast Facts:

1. You can party any day of the week. Go on a Monday? No problem, it will be just as packed as a Saturday night.  
2. Nearly all clubs don't charge cover. 
3. There are no lineups or ID checks to get into the clubs. 
4. Security is fierce, even if it doesn't seem like it. Some of them wear bullet proof vests! Don't start stupid shit or you'll be dragged outside and beat down kung fu style. Yes, I've seen this first hand!
5. Some clubs won't allow photography. Those are usually the craziest clubs. I guess their mentality is, "What happens in there, stays in there." I'd leave my camera at home.
6. Most mainstream clubs now play American Top 40. Lady Gaga, 50 cent, Beyonce.
7. There is a loyal following of House/Progressive/Trance/Electronic music DJs in the city as well. So if you're European or just into that, you're in luck.
8. Local Chinese girls are hot like you wouldn't believe. I've lived overseas for 19 years and I have never seen girls of that calibre. This applies to more Northern China like Shanghai, Sichuan, and Beijing. Less so in Guangzhou I think. 
9. With hotness comes prostitution. Yes, some of those friendly ladies won't be all over you just because you're so fine. Believe it. Some people there are trying to make a living unfortunately. Try to keep a clear head... unless you're into that sort of thing...
10. Not all clubs have a big central dance floor! This was a real shocker to me at first but read on and you'll see how it works.

There is a real liberal mentality about partying in Shanghai. No cover, no lineups, in and out as you wish. Often times you can hit up 3-4 clubs in one night until you find one with the right vibe for you. Club hopping is the norm if you are new to the city and haven't found your hideout yet. Locals usually find one particular club they like, stick to it, and become friends with the PR managers who will hook you up with anything from free drinks, free fruit platters, or free lady friends. Have fun, stay safe, and don't get involved in anything stupid. 

Go-go dancers inside Park 97. Most clubs will have dancers and singers throughout the night. 

Liquor Etiquette: 

1. Number #1 rule. Don't buy drinks. Buy a bottle. Drinks prices are expensive and comparable to overseas. $5-10USD for a rum&coke, gin&tonic, or a Budweiser. But more importantly, thats not how it works in Shanghai! The thing to do here is to buy a bottle of Chivas, Jack Daniels, or Ballentine's plus things to mix it with like green tea, juices, or sodas.
2. Okay, I'll buy a bottle, but which one? Locals here mostly order whiskey and green tea. Not because they are discerning whiskey connoisseurs but because Chivas Royal, Jack Daniels, and Ballentine's did some excellent marketing in China right when the whole club scene started rolling in the early 2000s. Prices range from 580-880RMB a bottle, which is $85-130USD (April 2010 exchange rate). Add the green teas/juices/sodas needed to mix drinks, you're looking at about another 300-550RMB ($45-80USD) depending on if you want to finish the bottle that night. Don't worry if you can't finish a whole bottle of that whiskey. You can get the waiters to save the bottle for you next time. They measure how much is left, and give you a card for your next visit. These prices I listed are for the more expensive clubs in Shanghai. Prices usually go down from there, especially if you are in other less expensive cities. 
3. So what drinks do I recommend? That entirely depends on your budget. The cheapest way to go bottle wise would be to get a Jack Daniels and some green tea. A whole night on that would be about 580RMB plus mixers which would set you back another 200-300RMB. Stay away from Chivas because there are a lot of fake Chivas whiskeys in China. Another way to go, and what I usually go for, is to buy VSOP cognac. Remy Martin or Hennessy. Plus it tastes way smoother with green tea than whiskeys! Prices are surprisingly reasonable in the 880RMB range. So then it's $85USD for a Jack Daniels or $125 for a VSOP cognac. Here in Canada, a JD goes for $40 at a liquor store and a Remy VSOP goes for $100. You be the judge. 
4. Alcohol is expensive in Shanghai then! Imported luxury goods usually are heavily taxed in China. But buying a bottle + mixers will set you back a total of between 900-1500RMB. Split that between 2-3 buddies and you're looking at a maximum of ~$50USD/person so it's really not as bad as you might think. You could very well spend that amount on a half dozen beers plus other drinks. Again, if you can't finish the bottle, you can save it for next time. Buying a bottle and sharing it with a couple of friends is the best way to go. 

The whole idea behind the liquor etiquette section is for you to blend in with the locals. Foreigners carrying a gin&tonic walking around looking for fun are almost always ignored by locals and end up partying with other foreigners. Not the point really. When in Rome, do what the Romans do. When in China, eat Chinese food. Don't be like that guy who goes to China and eats KFC. Be adventurous! 

The two storey mega club of G-Plus. 

Table Etiquette:

1. Find a table or your home base to work from. The whole point to buying a bottle is to land a table. Remember when I said there wasn't one big dance floor? Thats because the club is littered with tiny tables for standing and big couches for lounging. That's how it works here. People mingle, drink, and dance around each other's tables. That's how it all gets started. There are elevated dance platforms throughout most clubs, so if you really need to get your groove on there's that. But if you are bopping your head with a drink in your hand in the middle of nowhere, you'll stick out like a sore thumb and be ignored. Trust me. Another reason not to buy drinks in glasses. 
2. Table location. There isn't a do or die rule when it comes to location as compared to deciding between buying drinks or buying a bottle, anything central is probably your best bet if you are new. Most exposure and the best views. :) I would stay away from the couches unless you are there with a big bunch of friends and don't want to mingle with any strangers. The are also more "VIP" and more prone to hooker attacks... unless you're into that sort of thing...
3. After you settle in your table, the bottle is opened, and the drinks are poured for you, then what do you do? Well, this is pretty simple, you either wait for people to come to you or you bring friendly strangers back to your table. Chinese girls are aggressive, especially later in the night. If you are nicely dressed and don't look like a troll, in most cases they will come right up to you. This was a bit of a shocker for me. For some reason, overseas Asian girls have this image of being timid and shy creatures. Not true in China. Having a home base to come back to is also important if you spot a hottie on the other side of the bar. If you strike up a conversation at her table, you can invite her and her friends back to yours and go from there. See how it works? Are you getting the gist of it? 
4. You need to know the two most popular table games in China. Luckily, if you are clubbing in Northern China, you'll only need to know these two and you're fine. If you're in Guangzhou, there are two dozen or more of these games that will get your head spinning! The first game is the most common and is the first game that you will play. It is a dice game, each person gets 5 die and a plastic dice mug to roll the dice in. It is a variation on the popular card game Bullshit. The rules are simple and I will try to dig up a link or write one myself on that later. For now, I'll tell you the second dice game. The second game is even easier, it is a game of luck. I don't know the English name for it, but I'll translate it literally from Chinese and it's called "Fortune Dice". Again, 5 die and a plastic dice mug, players roll at the same time and open up their dice mugs. Poker rules apply except no flushes or straights. 1's or "aces" are highest, five of a kind is the highest. Then four of a kind, three of a kind, two pairs, pair. A free re-roll if you get no pairs. Players roll in the first round, the lower player gets to roll once more. Loser loses when they can't beat their opponent after a re-roll. Hope that makes some sense!  
5. There are a few other things to watch out for other than hookers. PR managers or public-relations managers introduce themselves if they see you by yourselves at your table. If they see you are bored, they will start playing those drinking games with you. Girl PR for a table of guys, Boy PR for a table of girls. They are all attractive professionals. Their nickname in Chinese are "Little Bees" because they buzz around the club looking for people not drinking their expensive liquors and try to accelerate the consumption of those bottles. It's all commerce. Ways to get rid of them is to leave the table or act disinterested. Best way to get rid of them is to not be bored and find some strangers to play with. :P 

Prestige is a big deal in Asian cultures. There is a reason why the Louis Vuitton flagship store in Paris on the Champs de Elysee seem to cater exclusively to Asians. Prestige applies to the clubbing and drinking culture in Shanghai as well. You have to have a certain amount of money to be able to afford a bottle of alcohol. Minimum monthly salary in Shanghai is 1100RMB or ~$160USD. Average college grads earn 2000-4000RMB and that's $300-600USD a month. A bottle and a table gets you instant cred with the locals. Try ordering a bottle of Champagne and it will come with fireworks/sparklers. :) Little things like these goes a long way. Then again, don't be under the illusion that you're the richest guy in there. Unless you parked your Murcielago next to the other half dozen Murcielagos in front of the club, keep your lid on and don't be an ass. Go with the flow and you'll have a great time! 

A Few of the Hottest Clubs in Shanghai:

No.88 during the day. Pretty dank. But totally different during the night. It is right on top of a great restaurant too. So after a good night of drinking and clubbing, you can head downstairs for some delicious foods.

1. No. 88 Bar. The hottest club in Shanghai right now is 88 Bar (pronounced Ba Ba Bar in Mandarin). It is actually a chain across China with bars in Guangzhou, Chengdu, Beijing, and other cities. The interior design is a Pirates of the Caribbean-like theme. Wood tables, dozens of gold chandeliers, insane lighting and sound systems, and elevated dance platforms for customers and performers. This is THE place to go if you want to experience the clubbing culture in Shanghai. 
2. Richy. One of three clubs within 2 mins walking distance in Fuxing Park. Imagine a park in the middle of the city with three huge clubs inside arranged in a triangle all within walking distance. That is Fuxing Park in Shanghai folks. Richy is a 9,0 bar. Meaning that people who go there are students and youngsters born after 1990. Yes, I know. Crazy. There is a huge video screen wall on one side but the club isn't very big. Plan to go there early because it is packed every night 
3. Park 97 another club inside Fuxing Park, is one of the first clubs ever opened in Shanghai or China for that matter. It is more traditional in that it is more western. It has a main dance floor, and there is a huge circular bar in the middle of the club. There are couches but few tables. It is packed with foreigners that don't know what they are doing. Few locals go there. Unattractive people overall but still bouncing.
4. Guandi is the final club inside Fuxing Park. I believe Guandi has a 100RMB cover charge for most nights so it is not always as busy as other clubs. I've been there in 2006 but when I went back this year in 2010, the interior has been re-done. To sum up, hot tubs inside the club. Enuf' said. 
5. G-plus is a huge two storey club located on the 5th floor of a ultra-high end shopping mall. It used to be a pretty happening house/progressive music club that the local enthusiasts flock to, but this time around, it has turned into another "foreigner club". It is big and with a mixture of tables, couches, and a central dance floor.
6. Babyface was the "it" club for a long time all over the country. It is definitely one of the seedier clubs with a lot of hookers and pimps working the joint. You'll see a lot of old businessmen with very young girls partying there. It was under renovation this time around so I didn't go. This club has been around a long time as well. 
7. There are other several prominent ones too such as Muse and Mao, but be weary of other travel sites claiming a certain club as the "it" place. They are most likely "foreigner bars" that really don't give the authentic feel of Shanghai local nightlife.

It is important to find out the address of these clubs before you hop into a taxi. With new bars popping up every month and old ones closing down or moving, cab drivers often don't know where they are unless you tell them the cross streets. The clubs inside Fuxing Park are a constant so you can at least go try out Richy, Park 97, and Guandi. But definitely I would recommend anyone going to Shanghai right now to head to No. 88 Bar. I will try to dig up the addresses of these clubs, but a hotel concierge or a local can probably find out for you by dialling their operator.

So there you have it, an in-depth guide to clubbing in Shanghai. I've had the pleasure of knowledgeable and experienced locals taking me out to these places over the years.  As a society becomes more developed and orderly, places and scenes like this will only begin to disappear. So I highly suggest everyone travelling to Shanghai to experience this part of their culture. It is a culture shock to some and a moral temptation to others, but if you have your head screwed on right, you can have lots of fun without getting yourself in trouble. Be safe!