Exploring Shenzhen's Best Bar District

Exploring Shenzhen's Best Bar District
Jun 05, 2009 By eChinacities.com

In 1962, French President Charles DeGaulle attended the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Anceveller, a first class, one-of-a-kind luxury cruise ship. In 1973, the Chinese government purchased the ship from the French, changing its name to the Minghua. The boat’s first mission was to take Chinese engineers and other technical experts to aid Tanzania. Later it was used by an Australian company as a ship that would take tourists around the ocean on trips. In 1979, when admiral Liao Chengzhi visited the Minghua, it soon became known as the “Chinese-Japanese Friendship Vessel.” In 1983, the boat was docked at Shekou Harbor and its interior was converted into a hotel and restaurant as well as other tourist amenities. The boat then became China’s first seaborne tourist attraction. In 1984, Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping personally visited Shekou Harbor and stayed on the Minghua, which means ‘Brilliant China’ in Chinese. From then on, the ship became known as ‘the seaborne world.’ The ship, docked in Shekou Harbor near Shenzhen, is a symbol of all the progress that the boomtown has made in twenty years of reforms.

Shekou harbor, known as the birthplace of Shenzhen bar culture, is called Langui Fang by locals. On March 30th, 1987, a foreigner opened the first bar in Shenzhen, the Snake’s Nest, on Taizi Road in the Yinghui Building’s first floor. To this day, there are over forty clubs and bars running up and down Taizi Street. These bars, which vary from Asian, European, American, and African styles, are located on Haijing Square, and in the Bitao Center, the Yinghui Building and the Yingchao Building.

All the bars and restaurants in Shekou have simple, comfortable, homey atmospheres and food that reminds you of your mom’s cooking. Foreigners who have lived in Shekou for a long time all view the bar and restaurant area as their hometown. If you stay here for a couple days, you’ll feel like there is no difference between you and the locals who pull all-nighters all the time. One of the things you will notice is that Shekou feels like a different country. This is the essence of the bar culture. The clothing, languages, and designs will make you feel like you have just stepped into a different world.

Shekou’s Sea World bar street stands out for all the foreign customers that frequent the area. This makes it feel all the more exotic. In addition to the old bars that have been here for years, there has been a raft of new bars, restaurants and clubs that opened up last year. This bustling new Western bar and restaurant district is located right across the street from the McDonald’s. Although the restaurants and bars are very small, most of them have a lot of character. Their unique selection of food and drinks makes each place worth going to. There are also Brazilian BBQs and other upscale Western restaurants that remain popular with the nine-to-five crowd.

The bar district has a European-style public square design that provides a calm atmosphere for having a chat with friends, relaxing or partying. The whole area gives off a very strong foreign vibe.

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