Nightlife in Wuhan

Maybe one of the most of the exciting aspects of teaching English in China is the nightlife. The image of China in The West doesn't necessarily reflect my experiences since being in Wuhan. Young people of China today have a similar attitude to going to bars and clubs as westerners do and because of this all the major cities in China have a big choice of Chinese style clubs and Western Bars due to the significant market for it.

I have made many Chinese friends from going to bars and its pretty common to meet Chinese locals who can speak English. Chinese people will tell you that they're very traditional and don't really got to bars and drink....well there is a lot of them that do.

The Chinese style bars are quite expensive as you need to buy a table, not too dissimilar to some of the more expensive bars in London, there are usually some performers such as singers and dancers.  Even though the price of drinks is relatively expensive Chinese people in these types of bar are very welcoming and it's pretty normal to be invited over to join a table for a few drinks. Also there doesn't seem to be any particular busy night, every night seems similar in terms of numbers which can work at well for people who work at training schools and have their days off during the week.

Wuhan has a few foreign bars scattered around the city and they’re great for meeting up with other foreign teachers, watching sport and getting some good beer. They stock many of the same drinks as in Europe although it is a little pricey compared to drinking local Chinese beer which costs as low as 20p a bottle, however its seriously lacking in quality! Most bars serve western food but again the quality is not close to what you might get at home but its enjoyable enough and not too expensive.  The pizzas available are pretty decent and much cheaper than Pizza Hut.

Helen’s Bar

There are a few Helen’s bars around China, in Beijing, Shanghai and there are 3 in Wuhan. They attract a fairly large foreign crowd, many of my friends and I go regularly. The staff can all speak some English so it’s a great place to go when you first arrive in China and are still unfamiliar with the language. We've had some great nights at Helen’s and often take advantage of a lot of the deals they offer, some nights they give away free beers and also have ladies nights on Wednesday which is just free drinks for Girls! They serve western style food all night such as burgers, pizzas, chips and nachos! It’s pretty cheap and has a really good atmosphere, its foreigner friendly but also has a lot of Chinese customers too making it a good mix for a night out.

Vox

Vox is another bar aimed at foreigners, they have good sized dance floor so is often where people end the night after a few drinks before. On weekends they also have live bands playing which can bring in large crowds and create a really good atmosphere. Tickets to get in are cheap and they have a good drinks selection which is all reasonably priced, there is also loads of great snack food just outside the front entrance so it’s good to pop out every now and then if you’re hungry.

 

 

Ever since I arrived in China I have been really happy with the nightlife, I never really thought about it before I came and didn't consider the fact there would be bars the same as back home. It wasn't a factor for me when I started my application to come and teach here but now I’m here I’m glad there are plenty of places to go and get a beer after a weeks work. The only difference being you have to trade in your end of night kebab for some egg riced rice...small price to pay though.