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Nightlife in Kunming, exactly how bad?

glutto (1 post) • 0

Have some questions regarding the night scene in Kunming.
I live in Shanghai right now. Will stay here until February, but will then move somewhere else in China. Kunming seems to be a great city in almost every aspect. What worries me the most however is the nightlife. Obviously Shanghai has more to offer.

My demands: On a regular Friday or Saturday night I want to be able to find at least a couple of descent and crowded night clubs where you can meet new people most of the time. Sometimes during the weeks I want to go to a crowded bar without people looking strange at me because I have a couple of drinks on a Tuesday. Anyway, hope you get my point?

Maybe I'm totally underestimating the Kunming nightlife? Help would be appreciated.

bierdie (1 post) • 0

Man if u want to have a beer on Tuesdays go to the hump bar they have got every Tuesday a open mic, cool place.

Allywoo (2 posts) • 0

1st, ew...

2ed, then go somewhere else though no one there in KM will give a ~ no matter when u feel like to get drunk or whatsoe'er. Anyway u'll find it's always the same crowd u bump into after a short while and it's always the same bars that hold party regularly as you can check from those ads from this website.

It's not a 5-star hotel trying hard to meet your need, Sir. It's just another ordinary mid-sized China city only lazier, more relax and predictable

knida miss that town...

j_n_burns (9 posts) • 0

Ease up on the poor kid he asked a serious question if inartfully put.

To be honest the scene you described isn't my cup of tea, but I will try to put it in terms easily understandable for one who lives and parties in Shanghai: there isn't the same late night scene, as far as I am aware there is nowhere like say dragon club where you can party until dawn--although on the right night I have heard Speakeasy stays open fairly late.

There is also nowhere like windows where you can get 10 RMB mixed drinks 200 RMB bottles and see sex acts being performed on the dance floor.

there is also no Bar Rouge equvalent where it will be mostly Euros and Chinese v.i.p.s with models.

There is also certainly nothing like Malones, or anything else that resembles a western sports bar, and the western food here generally sucks. However, there is less demand for it as most people here are not looking to recreate their western lifestyle the way they do in Shanghai and the local food is very good.

Typical beer prices are 15-20 RMB, with mixed drinks 20-40. If you realyl want to pinch your mao, there is always the option of bringing a beer you bought for 2-3.5 kuai in a store into the bar, as outside drink seems to be an accepted local practice despite the signs that say otherwise.

You will also not find pits like BonBon, Babyface or Bamboo (thank god) with its collection of girls desperately looking to hook up with westerners. It would also be difficult to pull in as much variety as one easily does in Shanghai, if you know what I mean. Locals hooking up with westerners is not unheard of, but is more of the girlfriend variety than the hi I just met you let's have sex.

Kunming does have a small developing music scene,. However, you will not see touring acts from around the world like you see in Shanghai and as was pointed out if you want to go to the bars you will soon get to know the much smaller Lao Wai bar crowd quite quickly.

Kunming is also somewhat of a bohemian city for China, and there is a good arts scene for a city its size.

Kunming is also much more laid back, the people are more honest, and it is a good spot to explore the rest of Yunnan, Sichuan and SE Asia.

If you like outdoors stuff and sports, you will find the weather much more agreeable and the air much cleaner, you can actualy see the sun during the day and the stars at night.

If partying is your main goal Kunming may not be the place, but it can certainly be done here with much less of the pretension, and I have yet to have a girl just plop herself down at my table expecting me to pour her a drink from the bottle I just bought.

It's very different, but much more Chinese and much more relaxing and far better weather.

ellie (4 posts) • 0

i lived in Shanghai for a while before coming to Kunming and while the scene is obviously not as big, there is one. Kundu is the night market/club district here with great clubs like Nice that have pole dancers (sometimes with snakes??) and stuff like that. it is smaller and like an earlier poster said, you will often see the same regulars. drinks aren't nearly as expensive as that earlier posted said... mixed drinks don't usually go that high and the clubs love westerners so much you usually can get free drinks if you're with the right crowd. Kundu'd be your weekend spot, shuoba (speakeasy) and halfway house'd be your weekday spots. :]

Jess_KM (14 posts) • 0

"Nobody will look at you strange for having drinks on Tuesday."

Indeed. That would require Kunming expats to actually know what day of the week it was.

benni (2 posts) • 0

Kundu could be the place where you can find bars like mAso and Babi but not as "good" as bars in Shanghai apparently.

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