Investigating Chinese Bar Culture
A bar is a bar, but those in the Middle Kingdom have a few special quirks.
One of my past employers had a lounge area in their offices that, once in a while, they turned into a nightspot. It was a strange thing, finding a bar twenty stories up in an office building, but curiosities like this are far from unusual in China. It also had a certain amount of utility for an agency that, among other things, hired out foreign entertainers — such facilities were a chance to showcase the talent for prospective clients.
Even so, this was still meant to be a standard Chinese bar with standard Chinese amenities. The handful of evenings I spent there gave me an opportunity to observe this country’s bar culture up close.
Bars in China are not pickup spots, at least not until the foreigners get to them. These are places one visits in the company of a number of friends, relatives or colleagues. That last one is important — China’s business culture is decidedly old-school, and the mingling of alcohol and business is very common. One who doesn’t drink (or smoke, for that matter) risks being left out of a lot of golden opportunities.
The selection at many Chinese bars is quite limited. While establishments that service expatriates may have a wide range of beverages, more…
