Visiting Western revelers in Beijing can now breathe a sigh of relief. For one, it turns out the city air, however murky, does actually support human life—and even outdoor Olympic exertion. And Beijing, despite widely publicized concerns that it would be host to the “no-fun” Games (through some reporting of my own, admittedly), has turned out to be, well, kind of fun.
Originally, bar-owners reported that outdoor and rooftop seating were likely to be limited, as their al fresco tables were carted away and terraces threatened by shut-down unless appropriate registration steps were taken. It was predicted that a 2 A.M.curfew—a geriatric hour for Beijingers accustomed to service staff that will stay as long as there are paying customers—would be imposed. All live music venues faced a slew of previously un-enforced regulations that darkened many a bandstand—only temporarily, it turns out.
After the first Olympic weekend in Beijing, little evidence of killjoy regulation reared its head. Susan Yan, the owner of Passby Bar, had formerly expected her roof garden to be shut down, along with those of all other bars and restaurants lining the pedestrian walkway and hipster hang-out Nanluoguxiang. Instead, “everything was normal.” Moreover Greg Dover, a Canadian who manages Bar Blu on Sanlitun bar street, had worried about early curfews, but says that instead, “we had a good weekend, with no problems. Everybody was happy...Yes, we stayed open past 2.” Stefano Fin, proprietor of street-side Aperitivo, described the Sanlitun district as “packed.” D-22, which faced a period of uncertainty in regards to its live-music stage, now boasts a busy calendar straight through the month of August.
Jim Boyce, a well-read blogger who commentates on Beijing’s nightlife, argues the regulators simply needed to survive pre-game jitters. “These guys are over the initial hiccup, and they’ve realized the foreigners aren’t gonna go crazy. So we’re fine.”
As for the clientele, prior to the Olympics there was a mood of distrust, the result of stringent and continuous security and identity checks within venues which began two weeks before the opening ceremonies. Certainly, the spate of expatriate departures caused by visa cutbacks didn’t help. There had been rumors of corporate-monopolized venues, which would exclude the common party-person from access to the revelry inside. When the South China Morning Post reported that bars were instructed by local authorities to ban black people (which remains an unconfirmed assertion), the city’s festive mood seemed altogether soured.
Yet, for Edward Wang, a Beijing-based Chinese-American university student, and his group of friends, this weekend was typical: “we stayed out until late—I think 4 A.M.—and it was the same as usual on Sanlitun.” His friend, Jonathan Liu, noticed that nobody was indulging in the illicit drugs that were once common along the bar strip, and “there was a whole lot more security...but otherwise, it was the same [as before].”
Men in Black: security guards man the entrance
Several countries have organized “Olympic houses” that act as home-base for athletes and visiting compatriots, and some of these are open to the public as entertainment and exhibition outlets with nationally-oriented themes. The Swiss House offers chocolate sculpting, for example; the Casa Italia is hosting modern art; and the Holland House is more colloquially known as the Heineken House.
Beijing's Agricultural Exhibition Hall
Most of these country houses are accessible only to nationals—but beyond them, nearly every venue in the city has reserved at least a part of its space for the public, so that any plain Joe—whether his skin is black, white, chartreuse or periwinkle can find a place in which to take part in the fun.
The only glitch in weekend celebrating seemed the absence of normally abundant taxis, which hindered hopping from stop to stop (and I would imagine further challenged tourists unfamiliar with this town). If you had told me streets would be this empty and quiet, I would have responded, "only when pigs fly." And so they did: men on motorbikes transported hogs down thoroughfares without issue during the witching hour.
Hogs on hogs speed through the wide-open streets
Perhaps drivers were home watching Opening Ceremonies on Friday; and Saturday, could it be there simply was too much demand for cabs? “Like I said,” asserted Boyce, “there are a lot of places in Beijing, and this is huge city that can absorb people and make it seem not that busy.”
Once inside a venue or a party, the city’s nightlife was definitely active and effervescent—everywhere I went was packed to the gills, and all night-owls with whom I spoke agreed the city was bumping. But, one had to know where to go; and the parties were contained and controlled, not spilling out into the streets, as before. “It’s a more tame fun in Beijing, not wild and outrageous fun,” said Boyce. “Think of it as Harry Connick, Jr. fun, not Chili Peppers fun.”
