The Magazine
The Magazine
First-hand
Reported on the ground from Chengdu, Shanghai, Beijing and beyond — the scenes, the venues, the people. This is the lane we exist for.
Chengdu's newest gay club — a 360° wraparound LED room, muscle-dancer shows every night and a late, cheap door 100 feet from The Butterfly. Plus the current World Cup party, and how to book on Meituan.
Chongqing's first gay hostel — a rooftop garden, a 200m² clubhouse and a warm gay social scene in TikTok's favourite cyberpunk city. How to book on Meituan, and the one house rule that matters.
Beijing's gay nightlife runs late and discreet — here's how Sanlitun and Dongdan actually feel after 11pm, and why the capital is more rewarding than its reputation.
A magazine feature on gay Shanghai — the underground scene, the rooftops, the honest word on saunas, and where to wake up. By Sam Mercer.
Where to stay, eat and dance over a gay weekend in Shanghai — from the former French Concession to TX Huaihai's clubs and the Bund's stylish bars.
Nightly drag, two halls and a free door — what a Friday at The Butterfly (蝴蝶) is actually like, and why it's the gay club locals fly across China for.
No obvious gay street, but a thriving coded scene — a first-hand guide to gay Guangzhou, from Sister Club's drag shows to the late-night KTV culture of South China's biggest city.
Asia’s largest Pride, what it’s actually like, and why Taiwan leads the region.
Nightly drag, two halls and a free door — an inside look at Chengdu’s most legendary LGBTQ+ venue.
The 熊 (bear) scene is one of China’s warmest queer subcultures. An introduction.
Our multi-dimensional ranking of the best LGBTQ+ destinations across Greater China.
A traveller’s guide to Chinese bathhouse culture — what to expect and how to do it right.
Where the night goes long — the dancefloors worth crossing a Chinese city for.
Hot reads
The global gay-travel circuit — Bear Weeks, circuit parties, European Pride, fetish weekenders, naked beaches. Read for the heat; every piece ends with the door open to gay China.
Folsom, Darklands and beyond — a confident, beginner-friendly guide to the gay fetish and leather travel scene, with etiquette, consent and safety first.
From Tokyo to Bangkok to Taipei — an insider's city-by-city guide to Asia's gay bathhouses and saunas, with the vibe, etiquette and safety you need.
Sun, sea and absolutely no tan lines — a tasteful, confident guide to gay nudism, naturist beaches and clothing-optional resorts, with etiquette and safety.
A month-by-month guide to Europe's biggest and best Prides — Madrid, Amsterdam, Cologne, Brighton and more — and how to plan the trip of a lifetime from Asia.
Bears, cubs, otters and the men who love them — what gay bear culture really is, why it travels so well, and where to find your tribe worldwide and across Asia.
From Bangkok's mega-weekends to Taipei's all-nighters — a hot guide to Asia's circuit party scene and how to dance till sunrise.
What Asia's gay saunas are really like — the vibe, the etiquette, and how to dive in with confidence. Sensual, discreet, safety-first.
Water fights by day, mega-parties by night — why Bangkok's Songkran is the wildest week on the Asian gay calendar, and how to do it right.
Winter Pride Maspalomas on Gran Canaria is sunshine, beaches and partying in November. Here’s what it’s like and how to plan it as a traveller from Asia.
A guide to Europe’s best gay festivals and Prides — Madrid, Amsterdam, Sitges, Barcelona’s Circuit — and how travellers from Asia can build a smart trip around them.
The best gay bear weeks worldwide for 2026, from Sitges to Provincetown — plus where bears gather across Asia, with tips for travellers from the region.
Sitges, Mykonos, Maspalomas and beyond — a sun-soaked, speedo-ready ranking of Europe's best gay beaches for summer 2026, with the vibe, the crowd and how to do each one right.
Where to stay, which beach to pick, and how to do the world's most famous gay island without blowing your budget — a first-timer's guide to gay Mykonos in 2026.
Three hundred metres, hundreds of tiny bars — how to navigate Tokyo's Shinjuku Ni-chome, the world's densest gay neighbourhood, without the rookie mistakes.
A summer Pride under the stars — your 2026 guide to Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras, from the Oxford Street parade to the legendary parties and how to plan it from Asia.
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