Beijing and Shanghai
By Andrew Collins

As China's stature as a major player in the global business and political arena continues to increase, so does the visibility of the nation's gay community. To be sure, China is still a place where homosexuality is rarely discussed out in the open, and in all but a few very large cities, you'll find no organized gay scene. But the times are changing - China decriminalized homosexuality in the late '90s, and prior to its communist revolution in 1949, the country had been relatively tolerant of gay people, at least from a cultural and religious perspective, for centuries.

Although the Chinese government is still a long way from passing any laws that actually protect GLBT citizens and visitors from discrimination, life for gay people in the nation's leading tourist destinations - Beijing and Shanghai - continues to improve. And with both cities enjoying white-hot economic success and rapidly upgrading their tourism infrastructures in anticipation of such events as the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing and the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, there's never been a more exciting time to visit.

China's ancient capital city of Beijing is in the northern part of the country, and the relatively modern and considerably more Westernized metropolis of Shanghai is in eastern China, near the East China Sea, an arm of the Pacific Ocean. There's regular service between the two by plane (a two-hour flight), and it's also quite easy to combine a visit to these cities with Hong Kong, off the coast of southern China (flying time is a little over three hours from Beijing, and two-and-a-half hours from Shanghai). If you have just 7 to 10 days, it's prudent to focus on Beijing and Shanghai, as you need at least three days in each city to see the major attractions and get a feel for the place. If you're planning a trip of around two weeks or more, you might consider tacking on a few days in Hong Kong, which has one of the most vibrant gay scenes in Asia.

A few practicalities to keep in mind: As long as you stay at an international hotel, you'll always have access to cabs, and the generally multilingual hotel staff can tell drivers where to take you. Cabs are an incredibly inexpensive and practical way to get around; however, the vast majority of cab drivers in Shanghai and Beijing can neither speak nor read English, so it's critical that you have somebody fluent in Chinese write down the names of any establishments you're planning to visit.

Beijing and Shanghai are both fairly safe cities to walk around and explore. Exercise caution and discretion as you would in any big city, but you needn't be overly fearful about venturing into intriguing neighborhoods and enjoying yourself in these cities. Gay culture is still very much on the down-low, but you're unlikely to encounter hostility or unfriendliness based on your sexual orientation. Still, it's wise to avoid obvious displays of public affection with your same-gender friends or partners. And you should also be prepared to encounter occasionally aggressive panhandlers, especially in Shanghai - if you firmly tell them to leave you alone, and walk away quickly, you'll be fine.

Finally, although it's absolutely possible to visit Shanghai and Beijing independently and on your own, you're likely to have a better and more enlightened time sightseeing if you hire a local tour guide to show you around, especially if you're planning any side trips. For instance, in Beijing, visiting a section of the Great Wall of China is a must and can be accomplished in a half-day, but it's infinitely more enjoyable if a guide takes you and tells you what you're seeing. You can easily hire English-speaking guides and drivers through the concierge or front desk of virtually any of the major international hotels in each city. If you are interested in taking a package tour to China, consider booking through Purple Dragon, Asia's most respected gay-owned tour operator - it's a reputable company that goes to great lengths to work only with legit businesses (it does not support Asia's notorious "sex tourism" industry). This Thailand-based company can customize tours throughout China as well as in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and India.
Continue to page 2>>>

Page 1 of 3