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TRAVEL WATCH
When the Sun Goes Down, Beijing Rocks
Just a few years ago, evenings in Beijing pretty much had to wind up at around 10 p.m.; nothing was open after that. Eventually, a spate of generic Western establishments sprang up in and around the Sanlitun embassy area (think Hard Rock Cafe) to provide late-night entertainment. But these days, an increasingly urbane, artsy and wealthy population is demanding something more interesting. And people like bar owner Yang Fan are hustling to accommodate them. "I moved to Beijing because I could express myself here," says Yang, a musician-turned-entrepreneur from Sichuan province. "People come to my bar because it's different."
Yang's cozy wine bar, Haifan, encourages spontaneous performances by local musicians. On any given night, visitors might hear everything from the owner's impassioned renderings of Beethoven sonatas on the accordion, to his customers' jazzy dalliances with the bar's piano. Haifan is located on Xizhimenwai, across the street from the Beijing Zoo. (Tel: 6801-5178.)
Another funky venue, the Magic Mushroom Bar, gives local yuppies an intimate place to chat over drinks, trade name cards and flash their mobile phones nightly until 2 a.m. The bar's main attraction is its specialty cocktails, made at tableside, in a choice of glowing neon colors. The Magic Mushroom sprouts on the east side of Ritan Park, north of Xiuxuejie. (Tel: 6592-1446.)
Hot Spot, a new disco, is also worth a visit. The three-tiered hall was once a barracks for the People's Liberation Army. These days it's a backdrop for the liberation of contemporary Beijingers, who heat up the place at least twice nightly watching performances by scantily clad male dancers, suspended in cages over the stage. Located just off Sanhuan Road, a few blocks south of the Jingguang Center, the joint rocks until 2 a.m. (Tel: 6502-5240.)
A slightly homier atmosphere can be found at the numerous neighborhood clubs in the Haidian district in Beijing's northwest corner, which attract a motley crew of local and foreign students from nearby universities. At Blue Jay, lively conversations on everything from Chinese tongue-twisters to U.S. foreign policy fill the air until 5 a.m. Besides the long hours, the bar is popular for its cheap drinks. Blue Jay is located near the Beijing Language and Culture University, at 44 Chen Fu Road. (Tel: 6523-3432.)
As wild as Beijing now can get at night, locals try never to forget the government's myopic gaze. During a major political event, like the recent National People's Congress, many doors tend to be shut. At other times, says Yang, in words as subtle as a wink: "We close when we want to."
-By Lori Reese
WEB CR@WLING
SPEAK EASY Mom always impressed upon us the importance of being polite-but how can you say "please" and "thank you" if you're in a foreign country and don't know the language? This Website should help solve that conundrum. Sixty languages, from Afrikaans to Zulu, are contained here-including such Asian tongues as Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Malaysian, Mandarin, Tagalog, Taiwanese, Thai and Vietnamese. Not only can a user quickly find basic phrases, but just click on any word and the computer will pronounce it, too. An additional feature is the "word a day," in which potential linguists get E-mailed a new word every day in the languages of their choice. The site also carries links to other travel topics, including cheap airfares and hotel databases.
THE SHROUD OF TURIN
JESUS WEAR? The Shroud of Turin, purported to be the burial cloth that covered Jesus Christ's body, first surfaced in the Middle Ages. Though batteries of tests have failed either to prove or disprove the authenticity of the garment, the shroud remains an important object in the history of Christianity. It also is very rarely shown-and the public will get its last chance to view the shroud this millennium in Turin, Italy, from April 18 to June 14 (the previous public showing was 20 years ago). So why is this exhibit being discussed in an Internet item? Because to see the shroud, you are required to make a reservation in advance, and you can do just that by booking online at the above Web address. The site also provides a wealth of information about the shroud, its history, origin and the continuing debate over its legitimacy. Still want more? Another Website offering useful information on the shroud can be found at (what else?) www.shroud.com.
OFF THE SHELF
SUBWAY EXIT GUIDE
To the uninitiated, Tokyo's ruthlessly efficient subway can be intimidating. This guide, complete with maps, details on buying tickets and descriptions of each line, makes navigating the system a bit easier. Especially helpful is an alphabetical list of services, from acupuncturists to woodblock printers, that includes subway directions. (De Mente is apparently an expert on the fairer sex as well as subway fares: he also wrote Women of the Orient-Intimate Profiles of the World's Most Feminine Women.) The subway guide is available in Tokyo hotels and bookshops, and from Phoenix Books, 6505 N. 43rd Place, Paradise Valley, Arizona, 85253, U.S.; Fax: 1-602-840-8948; E-mail: Phxbooks@dancris.com.
DETOURS
In tenser times, tourists weren't allowed onto Taiwan's Quemoy (known locally as Kinmen ) island chain. Located just 2.4 km off the mainland Chinese coast, the island has long served as the heavily fortified front line between communist and nationalist forces. But in recent years, Quemoy and its picturesque fishing villages, military monuments and park-like expanses of greenery are now open to the public (though tens of thousands of Taiwan troops are still stationed there). Locals capitalize on the island's military history by selling kitchen knives fashioned out of artillery shells from past cross-strait clashes. (Pottery, peanut candy and fiery kaoliang liquor are also popular souvenirs.) Flights from Taipei take 55 minutes and cost $100, and some hotels have opened.
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hat explains the vibrancy of nightlife in China's dour capital? Probably the tendency of Beijing officials to keep, as a local saying goes, "One eye open and one eye closed." The blind eye toward experimentation has prompted a virtual revolution in the city's after-hours scene.