24-hour party? Beijing releases plans to boost its nightlife

Photo: Unsplash.com

Plans were announced by the city authorities in a bid to boost 24-hour tourism

Besides the usual haunts of Sanlitun, Gulou and perhaps Houhai, there really is nothing much to do past 10pm. Sure, there are a couple of places but they’re mostly bars and clubs.

Well, coming to the rescue is the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau which released a raft of measures to turn Beijing into China’s ‘Night Capital’ with more late-night offerings for revellers and visitors-alike. This means more dining, shopping and entertainment options in the hopes of attracting more visitors and with extended hours, spend more money. What’s in the pipeline for 2021?

More night things to do at city landmarks

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Aimed to spur nighttime tourism revenue, the initiative will look to keep big city attractions open till later. This includes the Summer Palace, Ditan Park and Olympic Park which will offer night tours. In addition, other 4A attractions. will also extend their opening hours by one to two hours respectively. 

More access to 24-hour infrastructure and public transport

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To help night owls get to places, the Beijing public transport system will extend its operation hours soon. On Line 1 and Line 2, which run through the shopping district of Wangfujing and Xidan, the departure time for the latest train is said to be pushed after 12.30 am. Similarly, more bus routes will also be planned with extended hours and night buses to and from these nightlife spots. 

More cultural performances

Photo: Dimitry B/Flickr

To encourage cultural venues to stay open later, the government will be subsidising venues that showcase the city’s art and culture such as crosstalk, Peking Opera and other traditional folk performances. Museums that also close late will be eligible for this subsidy. In total, the Beijing Municipal Government aims to have 3,000 performance venues be part of this program. 

More dusk-to-dawn entertainment offerings

Photo: InterContinental Beijing Sanlitun

According to the initiative, the bustling night hubs of Sanlitun, Qianmen, Dashilar and Wukesong will be the first to pilot various late-night programs to attract locals and foreigners. Think 24-hour canteens, bookstores, movie theatres and bars in these designated areas. There will also be 10 late dining streets (think Guijie) and 16 night markets that will be launched throughout Beijing. 

Hopefully this all comes to fruition and soon: as much as we love Sanlitun and Guijie, one can have too much of drinks and chuanr. Watch this space as we’ll keep you posted as this develops.

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