Gay Hotel Beijing

[Marigar]

Can anyone suggest a good gay hotel or friendly in Beijing. My Thai boyfriend and I want to go there for a week.
Any help will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Gaybutton]

This page might help you: http://www.utopia-asia.com/accchin.htm

[njjim]

My trip to Beijing was 6 years ago, so things have probably changed (hopefully).

I stayed at the Holiday Inn downtown, which was convenient to tourist sites and a typical Holiday Inn. I was there alone so don't know how friendly it would be toward a gay couple.

Seeing the Great Wall made the trip worth while - a truly unbelievable experience; but I would not describe Beijing as a fun city. Historic sites to see, but not a lot else. There was a kung fu show in the evening which I enjoyed, but not much else - perhaps gay night life has improved.

It is a long (5 hour) expensive flight and a visa was required. I obtained mine in the US, but if you want to leave your passport at the Chinese embassy in Bangkok you can pick up the visa in a few days or a travel agent can handle that for you. English was not widely spoken.

I arranged (through the hotel) for a private car to take me to the Great Wall. The other option is a bus tour. The private car was not too expensive and I felt was worth the expense.

Having seen the Great Wall, Beijing is not on my list of cities to return to.

[fountainhall]

I have visited Beijing many times since 1986. I stayed once with a bf and other times brought guys back to the hotels. Generally, if you stay in international chain hotels (which can fit almost all budgets) and you register under both names, there will be no problem.

I am sorry njjim did not find the city interesting. Beijing has a vast amount more to offer than just the Great Wall. Within the city, the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, the old fast-disappearing Hutong courtyard houses, the spectacular Lama Temple complex, some of the old shopping areas – even the pandas at the zoo, are just some of the interesting sights. Just outside the city there is the amazing Summer Palace. Then there is the contemporary architecture like the CCTV Tower, the Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium and the egg –shaped National Cultural Centre.

The gay scene is still relatively small, but it is there and especially busy at week-ends when Destination is heaving with many dozens of tall slim guys. The chain mail-style bar at the weirdly designed Opposite House hotel in Sanlitun has a gay night, and is very gay-friendly. Sanlitun itself also has many small restaurants and bars where a lot of gay guys meet up. There are another half dozen or so specifically gay or gay friendly bars. And to meet up with Beijing guys, the main networking sites like gaydar, fridae and gayromeo will throw up a lot of guys very keen to meet with visitors.

[njjim]

Sorry, if I gave the impression that Beijing was not interesting, that was not the intention. Historic sites to see - lots - enough to keep you busy for several days. I guess I was trying to distinguish between interesting and "fun" (entertainment type venues), not that they are mutually exclusive; but I found Beijing to be more interesting than fun. Perhaps that has changed in the last 6 years.

[Gaybutton]

I have a question too. When the Chinese come to Pattaya, they almost always seem very standoffish and also seem to want nothing to do with farang. They never seem to want to even speak to us or so much as acknowledge our presence.

Whatever the reasons are for that, I hope it's not the same in China. How did you find the "friendliness factor" to be?

[Marigar]

Thanks for the help guys.

[njjim]

Re: the "friendliness factor". Outside of the hotel, I did not find a lot of people who spoke English - even in the hotel (other than the front desk). I imagine the inability to communicate probably prevents people from being "friendly".

At the airport, I had to do an international transfer - well I couldn't find anyone who spoke English to help me. Not unfriendly - just no communication. And, at that time (pre-Olympics), there were few signs in English. I finally followed two tourists with luggage, who seemed to know where they were going, but had visions of being grabbed by security, before I finally got to my gate.

While I was in Beijing, my glasses fell apart and the screw disappeared. I found a small shop where they sold glasses, but the clerk spoke no English. But showing her my glasses - she repaired them and even cleaned them - and would not accept any money.

So friendly - yes, but outgoing and chatty to non-Chinese - probably not.

[fountainhall]

Outside of China, Chinese usually travel in groups. Because they don’t know much of the language or the customs, they therefore prefer to travel within their group and so often appear standoffish. Bear in mind, too, that Chinese are not used to overseas travel. For many of them, it will be their first trip outside China – or at least to a non-Chinese speaking country. They like Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong because there communication is simple. Not so elsewhere.

And I think the inability to communicate makes travel everywhere tricky – for everyone. njjim is correct: not many people speak English in Beijing, and those who do will usually only speak a little. Even in a 4-star hotel like the Courtyard by Marriott, I have found the level of English not to be very good. (In the 5-star St. Regis, though, many staff are fluent as they studied in the US!)

Feeling uncomfortable with the lack of communication inevitably affects a stay. I know only a little Mandarin Chinese but it certainly helps a lot when getting taxis, giving directions etc. The intrepid regular traveller should not have much difficulty picking up a few words and reading directions on, for example, the subway in order to find his way around. I have always suggested to friends that when in a new city and with a language you do not know, it is far better to try and hook up in advance with someone from the gay networking sites. This is especially true in China where many guys remain firmly in the closet and don't go to recognised gay or mixed places, but want to meet western guys. It’s usually easy to find lots with quite good English who want to meet up with you. And they can then help you in lots of ways.

[Pattayamale]

How did you find the "friendliness factor" to be?

When my Thai friend and I visited China we found everyone we met friendly. Our guide turned out to be gay by chance. This was also 5 years ago. We even got a couple of Military guys to smile. No problem with the hotels we stayed in. Shanghai has a few more gay bars and are more liberal I think.

I met a young gay Chinese tourist at the old Corner Bar. While talking with him he said he like big (fat) older guys. Very friendly.

Then at Happy Boys one night there was a very handsome (in my view) Chinese student who said it was his first time in any gay bar. He spoke very good English, but every answer he gave was precise. (Not his English, the way he answered questions about his culture vs Thai (Pattaya go-go)).

So maybe the perception of "friendliness" depends on where you meet a Chinese person.