Bars, beer and nightlife

✅ Updated Jun 2026

Nightlife in China is lively and great value. A bottle of local beer (Tsingtao, Snow, Harbin, or Yanjing) costs very little at restaurants and convenience stores, and even bars are affordable by Western standards. Big cities have everything from craft-beer taprooms and cocktail speakeasies to live-music venues, rooftop bars, and clubs — Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, and Chongqing especially. KTV (private karaoke rooms) is a social staple worth trying with friends. Find spots and deals on Dianping, or just ask a local. Drinks are often shared over a meal with toasts (干杯, gānbēi) — pace yourself, because the rounds add up.