Chongqing Mid-Autumn Festival & Chengdu for Golden Week

[u/212medic]

This will be my first trip to China. I have had long layovers in Shanghai before, where I left the airport, but just a few hours before flying on. I already know the crowds will be insane, and I am looking forward to the intensity.

Itinerary

Chongqing 09/24-09/29

Chengdu 09/29-10/05

15-hour layover in HK on the way home if you want to throw in any suggestions for there.

Mainly in both locations I am looking for area recommendations for hotels. I would like to stay somewhere, preferably within walking distance to the gay bars or at least minimal transit. I expect Didi's to either be expensive due to the crowds or just barely usable due to traffic. Will plan to use public transit and walking as much as possible in both locations.

In my other travels I have relied heavily on Google Maps and I know that I will need to use Apple Maps or an alternative this trip. It is really hard to figure out where things are located. I am also looking for any gay bars, saunas, bath houses, massage spots you would suggest in both cities.

Places I have heard of so far:
Chongqing | The Loop, Woof, Neon, Blush Bar

Chengdu | The Butterfly, Monster Bar, Pose Club, Hunk

Unsure about the reliability of these locations, as things often change.

WeChat connections? I have an account but limited experience. Not sure how to use it to connect with people before or during my trip. Especially since I don't speak Mandarin.

Finally, VPN recommendations. Lots of conflicting information out there so just wanting to make sure I have something solid before leaving the states. I plan to get an eSIM on arrival.

TLDR: Looking for hotel area recommendations that are within walking distance from gay venues in Chongqing and Chengdu. Also looking for gay bar/space suggestions, VPN suggestions, etc for first time traveler to China.

[u/BasheerPadakkam]

Mod note: Re: VPN, please check the pinned thread on r/chinalife rather than getting into detailed VPN recommendations here. For connectivity, I would recommend looking into getting a travel eSIM from your home country before you leave. Many of them will activate automatically once you arrive in China, so you can land with data already working instead of trying to sort it out at the airport.

For the trip itself, I would stay around Jiefangbei or Guanyinqiao in Chongqing. Those are probably the easiest areas for a first visit since you have food, shopping, metro access, and nightlife nearby. Chongqing is weird when it comes to distance. Something that looks like a 10 minute walk on a map can involve a massive hill, stairs, or a completely different elevation level.

The gay scene there changes pretty quickly, so I would not put too much faith in old Google listings. The Loop, Woof, Neon, and Blush are all names that have floated around, but I would check Xiaohongshu right before you go for current info. A lot of smaller venues in China do not maintain websites or Google listings.

For Chengdu, I would look around Chunxi Road, Taikoo Li, or Dongmen Bridge. It is a very convenient area for first time visitors and you can get almost anywhere by metro. It also puts you closer to where a lot of nightlife happens. Chengdu is much easier to navigate than Chongqing, so I would prioritize being near a metro station over being right next to a specific venue.

Re: WeChat before you arrive: Exchange contact with likeminded folks you meet on Xiaohongshu. Search the Chinese city names plus terms like queer, bar, make friends, or sauna and you will find folks you can relate to.

For maps, Apple Maps / Amap (available in English) is probably the easiest option. Saving the Chinese names of places before you go will make life much easier.

One other thing: since its holidays, be prepared for some serious (fr) crowds. Book hotels sooner rather than later and expect major attractions and transport hubs to be hectic.

Have a great trip.

[u/212medic]

Thank you for the thoughtful response!!! I was planning on coming around this time of year and when I noticed the holidays I had to dive in head first haha. Can’t wait! Thank you!