Beijg Pri | Events for the Gay & Lbian Communy - ellgeeBE

Contents:

• GAY BEIJG: EXPLORE THE THRIVG LGBTQ+ SCENE AND UNVER HIDN TREASUR
• BEIJG GAY CULTURE
• DONGDAN PARK: BEIJG’S GAY SPOT AND S CULTURAL SYMBOLSJEFEY·FOLLOWPUBLISHED PANDA!YOO·12 M READ·MAR 23, 2020--LISTENSHAREDONGDAN PARK IS AN URBAN PARK BEIJG, AND IS KNOWN AT HOME AND ABROAD BEE IS THE OLST GAY STRONGHOLD SCE THE FOUNDG OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHA.IN AN ERA WHEN THERE IS NO INTER, OR EVEN HOMOSEXUALY WAS ILLEGAL, BEIJG’S GAY GATHERED HERE AT NIGHT SEARCH OF DATG AND SEX.THERE HAVE BEEN MANY ROMANTIC HOMOSEXUAL LOVE STORI THIS PARK, WHICH IS ONLY TWO KILOMETERS OM TIAN’ANMEN SQUARE. BUT HAS ALSO ED MANY PEOPLE TO BE FECTED WH HIV BEE OF UNSAFE SEX. IT HAS BEEN WRTEN TO DOCUMENTARY LERATURE, NOVELS, CHE MEDIA AND FOREIGN MEDIA REPORTS, AND HAS BEE THE STORY BACKGROUND OF CHE HOMOSEXUAL FILMS.WHY ON EARTH DID DONGDAN PARK BEE A GAY SPOT? WHEN DID THIS BEG? WHAT DO DONGDAN PARK LOOK LIKE NOW?IT ED TO BE A REAL GAY SPOT, BUT FOR LENNIALS, HAS GRADUALLY BEE A CULTURAL SYMBOL. THE REAL DONGDAN PARK IS ALMOST NO LONGER RELATED TO HOMOSEXUALY, BUT THE 60-YEAR HISTORY OF THE PARK HAS TO SOME EXTENT BEE A HISTORY OF GAY MEN CHA, WHICH IS STILL WORTH TELLG.ONCE THE BT-KNOWN GAY SPOT CHAAS FAR AS N BE FOUND, DONGDAN PARK HAS BEE THE EARLIT RERD OF A GAY SPOT, AN TERVIEW WH A WELL-KNOWN ELRLY GAY MAN CHA.NG GUOFENG IS ONE OF THE MOST FAMO GAY BEIJG THE LAST CENTURY. HE HAS TWO OTHER NAM, ONE IS HIS REAL NAME XIAO SHUANG, AND THE OTHER IS THE NICKNAME “LADY PARIS.”HE IS LLED THE LADY OF PARIS BEE 1962, AT THE AGE OF 23, HE MET AND FELL LOVE WH A FRENCH OK A FOREIGN EMBASSY BEIJG.NG GUOFENG PHOTOS OF DIFFERENT TIMNG GUOFENG STILL REMEMBERS THE NIGHT HE MET THE FRENCHMAN:IT WAS ALMOST DK THAT DAY, AND THERE WERE NOT MANY PEOPLE THE SQUARE. I WAS DRSED WHE: A WHE SWEATSHIRT, A WHE AT, WHE TROERS AND A WHE SRF. THE FRENCHMAN SAT OPPOSE ME, ABOUT 40 YEARS OLD, TALL AND BURLY. I LIKE THIS FOREIGNER VERY MUCH MY HEART. THE FRENCH SED AT ME, AND SO DID I.THERE WERE FEWER AND FEWER PEOPLE THE SQUARE, AND THE FRENCH SUDNLY SAID TO ME CHE: “I LOVE YOU!” I WAS NOT ON DATE, AND REPLIED A FOREIGNER’S WAY: “THANK YOU!” THE FRENCHMAN SAID, “SHALL WE GO OUT AND TALK?” I SAID, “OKAY.”AFTER THAT, NG GUOFENG DATED THE FRENCHMAN MANY TIM, SO HE GOT TO THE HAB OF LLG HIM “LADY PARIS” THE GAY MUNY BEIJG. LATER, NG GUOFENG LEARNED THAT THE FRENCHMAN WAS A OK.THE FRENCHMAN HAD A HAB OF GIVG HIM SOME POCKET MONEY AFTER EVERY DATE WH NG GUOFENG. NG GUOFENG DIDN’T WANT TO TAKE BEE HE DIDN’T WANT THE FRENCH TO THK HE WAS A PROSTUTE. BUT THE FRENCH ALWAYS THROW MONEY TO HIM WHEN THEY LEAVE AND SAY TO HIM, “YOU N BUY SOME SMETICS.”NG GUOFENG ULD ONLY KEEP THE MONEY, BUT FOR THE CHE AT THAT TIME, THERE WAS NO PLACE TO EXCHANGE FOREIGN CURRENCI TO RMB.THE RELATNSHIP DIDN’T END WELL, AND THE FRENCHMAN DIDN’T SHOW UP ON A DATE. LATER, NG FOUND THE FRENCHMAN WALKG WH OTHERS.IN SOME ARTICL, NG GUOFENG’S ENUNTER WH THE FRENCHMAN WAS SCRIBED DONGDAN PARK. BUT FACT, ACRDG TO NG GUOFENG’S OWN DICTATN, HE MET THE FRENCHMAN XIDAN CULTURAL SQUARE. BUT MOST OF THE SUBSEQUENT DAT ALSO TOOK PLACE DONGDAN PARK, AND THE NAME “LADY PARIS” WAS ALSO FORMED DONGDAN PARK.ACRDG TO NG GUOFENG’S RELLECTN, DONGDAN PARK HAD GRADUALLY BEE A GAY SPOT BEIJG AS EARLY AS 1960 WHEN HE DATED THE FRENCHMAN. LATER, WE’LL TALK ABOUT WHAT CHANGED THAT PARK THE 1960S.AT THAT TIME, THERE WERE TWO GAY SPOTS BEIJG, DONGDAN AND XIDAN, WHICH WERE LOTED ON BOTH SIS OF THE CENTRAL AXIS OF BEIJG, AROUND 2KM ON THE EAST AND WT OF TIANANMEN SQUARE, RPECTIVELY. WANG XIAOBO’S NOVEL EAST PALACE AND WT PALACE REFERS TO THE TWO PLAC. IN 1996, THE NOVEL WAS ADAPTED TO A FILM STARRG HU JUN, ZHAO WEI, SI KHAN AND OTHERS.STILLS OF THE EAST PALACE AND THE WT PALACETHE STORY SCRIBED EAST PALACE AND WT PALACE TAK PLACE DONGDAN PARK. WHEN XIAO SHI, A POLICEMAN AT THE POLICE STATN NEAR THE PARK, IS BORED ON THE NIGHT SHIFT, HE WILL ARRT ONE OR TWO HOMOSEXUALS THE PARK FOR TRIAL. ALAN IS A GAY WHO OFTEN HNTS THE PARK AND BEHAV ENCHANTG. WH MANY NTACTS, XIAO SHI LISTENED TO ALAN TALK ABOUT HIS LIFE AS A HOMOSEXUAL, AND HIS HIDN SEXUALY BEGAN TO AWAKEN. AFTER A PERD OF TEMPTATN AND ANTI-TEMPTATN, XIAO SHI FELL LOVE WH ALAN.ALTHOUGH THE FILM WAS NOT RELEASED CHA, MA DONGDAN PARK FAMO AND MA ALL CHE GAY FANTASIZE ABOUT DONGDAN PARK.THE PLOT OF “THE POLICE ARRT HOMOSEXUALS” SCRIBED THE FILM WAS ONCE A REAL PHENOMENON CHA THE END OF LAST CENTURY. NG GUOFENG WAS SENT TO REFORM THROUGH LABOR AFTER BEG REPORTED BY HIS LLEAGU 1977 (HE WAS A TEACHER). HE GOT OUT OF PRISON 1986 AND SPENT SEVEN YEARS JAIL BETWEEN THE AG OF 38 AND 47.THE CRIME OF HOOLIGANISM, WHICH HAD BEEN WILY ED TO ARRT HOMOSEXUALS, WAS LETED OM CHA’S NEW CRIMAL LAW 1997, THE SEND YEAR AFTER THE FILM WAS RELEASED. IN 2001, HOMOSEXUALY WAS REMOVED OM THE CHE CLASSIFITN AND DIAGNOSTIC CRERIA FOR MENTAL DISORRS, AND HOMOSEXUALY IS NO LONGER REGARD AS A DISEASE BY THE CHE ERNMENT.GAY MEN DONGDAN PARK. THE PHOTOS ARE ARTISTILLY PROCSED FOR PRIVACY REASONS.IN AN ERA WHEN THERE IS NO INTER AND EVEN BREAKG THE LAW, GAY MEN N’T GO TO HOTELS OR HAVE SEX AT EACH OTHER’S HOM. THEREFORE, DONGDAN PARK IS NOT ONLY THEIR DATG PLACE, BUT ALSO THEIR SEX PLACE.IN HIS 1995 BOOK HOMOSEXUALY CHA, FANG GANG, AN ASSOCIATE PROFSOR THE SCHOOL OF HUMANI AT BEIJG FORTRY UNIVERSY AND A FAMO CHE SEXOLOGIST, GAVE A TAILED ACUNT OF WHAT WAS LIKE DONGDAN PARK, WHICH WAS A STRONGHOLD OF HOMOSEXUALY AT THAT TIME:“IF YOU LOOK REFULLY, YOU WILL FD SOMETHG DIFFERENT AND STRANGE ABOUT (THE PARK). ON THE BENCH BI THE PARK PATH SAT TWOS AND THRE OF MEN. THEY SEEM TO BE VERY LEISURELY, BUT THEIR EY ARE ALWAYS EAGERLY SEARCHG FOR SOMETHG. WHEN THEY MEET A SIRED TARGET, THEY EHER SHE ONT OF THEIR EY OR LOOK AT HIM WH IMPLIED EY. “AT THE SAME TIME, THE BOOK ALSO RERDS HOW HOMOSEXUALS THE PARK E S TO INTIFY EACH OTHER:“SOMEONE WILL ASK YOU WHAT TIME IS, BUT HE HAS HIS OWN WATCH. SOMEONE WILL BORROW A LIGHTER OM YOU, BUT HE DON’T SMOKE. THE OTHER PERSON MAY STILL ASK YOU FOR DIRECTNS, BUT THE PLACE WHERE HE IS GOG IS FICTNAL. “IF YOU GIVE A POSIVE ANSWER, THEN YOU MAY HAVE SEX DIRECTLY A HIDG PLACE THE PARK. IF YOU SAY YOU DON’T KNOW ANYTHG, THE OTHER PERSON WILL REALIZE THAT YOU ARE NOT GAY OR THAT YOU ARE NOT ATTRACTED TO HIM.GAY AND TRANSGENR MEN DONGDAN PARK. THE PHOTOS ARE ARTISTILLY PROCSED FOR PRIVACY REASONS.THE REASON FOR G THE IS NOT ONLY TO AVOID HARASSG NON-GAY PARK VISORS BUT ALSO TO PREVENT BEG “FISHG LAW ENFORCEMENT” BY PLACLOTH POLICE. BEE EVEN IF HOMOSEXUALY IS CRIMALIZED, IS STILL NOT ALLOWED BY LAW TO HAVE SEX A PUBLIC PLACE SUCH AS A PARK.AT THE BEGNG OF THE 21 CENTURY, GAY SPOTS ALL OVER THE UNTRY BEME LIVELY. ANOTHER POPULAR GAY SPOT AT THAT TIME WAS “BATHG PLACE”. BEE BATHG PLACE HAVE A MORE PRIVATE ENVIRONMENT THAN PARKS, HOMOSEXUALS N HAVE SEX LOUNG OR SNAS ROOM, WHICH IS “A LTLE SAFER” THAN PARKS.BUT THE BATHG PLACE IS CHARGED, HOMOSEXUALS PAY TO ENTER, BUT MAY NOT BE ABLE TO FD A SUABLE PARTNER. SO FOR THE POOR AND THE ELRLY, THEY STILL LIKE PARKS.DONGDAN PARK AS AN “ORDARY PARK”DONGDAN PARK WAS FOUND 1955 AND WAS NOT A GAY SPOT OM THE BEGNG.IN THE IMPRSN OF MOST BEIJGERS, HAS NOTHG TO DO WH THE HOMOSEXUALY. THE REASON WHY DONGDAN PARK N BEE A GAY SPOT IS ALSO RELATED TO THE VELOPMENT OF THE PARK SELF.THE HISTORY OF DONGDAN PARK N BE TRACED BACK TO THE X CHOU TREATY SIGNED BY THE QG ERNMENT 1901. IT BEME A TRAG GROUND FOR FOREIGN TROOPS STATNED BEIJG. IN 1948, THE ERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF CHA ALSO ED THIS PLACE AS A TEMPORARY AIRPORT.THEREFORE, THE PRECSOR OF DONGDAN PARK IS JT A PIECE OF FLAT LAND. AS YOU KNOW, IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR PEOPLE TO CHOOSE AN OPEN SPACE AS A RENZVO PLACE.IN THE FIRST FIVE YEARS OF THE FOUNDG OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHA, DONGDAN PARK HAD NOT YET BEEN TABLISHED, WHEN WAS LLED THE “EAST LAND”-AN AMPLE OPEN SPACE TO THE EAST. IN 1955, THE BEIJG MUNICIPAL ERNMENT LEATED DONGDAN PARK OM THE “EAST LAND”. IN 1963, GUO MOO, A MORN CHE LTERATR, PUT UP A PLAQUE FOR DONGDAN PARK, WHICH MARKED THE OFFICIAL OPENG OF THE PARK.THE EARLY DONGDAN PARKDONGDAN PARK IS GENERALLY DIVID TO THREE PARTS: THE NORTHERN HILLS ARE LUXURIANT WH SMALL PAVILNS ON THE TOP; THE CENTRAL SQUARE IS SURROUND BY CEDAR, WHICH SETS OFF THE STATUE OF “WORKERS, PEASANTS AND SOLDIERS”; THE WTERN PART IS A FNS AREA, WHICH HAS SET UP MANY EE FNS EQUIPMENTS AFTER CHA’S REFORM AND OPENG UP.GAY MEN ARE ALMOST EXCLIVELY ACTIVE THE HILLS AND WOODS THE NORTH, WHERE THERE IS ENOUGH SHELTER TO MAKE EASIER FOR THEM TO HAVE SEX DIRECTLY THE PARK.ACRDG TO RERDS, THIS PART WAS TABLISHED AROUND 1968, WHEN SO SOVIET RELATNS WERE TENSE. THE ERNMENT DUG MANY AIR RAID SHELTERS BEIJG FOR THE POSSIBLE THIRD WORLD WAR, WHILE THE MUCK OM THE AIR RAID SHELTERS WAS PILED UP THE MAJOR PARKS BEIJG AND BETIFIED BY PLANTG TRE. THE HILLS, FORTS AND PAVILNS THE NORTH OF DONGDAN PARK WERE BUILT AT THAT TIME.BEE IS CLOSE TO DONGDAN STADIUM AND A SPORTS SCHOOL BEIJG. THEREFORE, THE HISTORY OF “ORDARY PARK”, DONGDAN PARK HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PARK WH A EP RELATNSHIP WH SPORTS.THIS YEAR’S 69-YEAR-OLD CCTV SPORTS HOST, MS. SUN ZHENGPG, RERD A “NOT A GAY SPOT” DONGDAN PARK HIS MEMOIRS:IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE CULTURAL REVOLUTN, BEIJGERS WHO LACKED ENTERTAMENT WOULD PLAY CHS, POKER, SHUTTLECK AND LOYALTY DANCE DONGDAN PARK. NIE WEIPG, A CHE PROFSNAL GO PLAYER WHO HAS WON THE NTH SECTN OF GO, ONCE NCEALED HIS INTY AND PRACTICED GO WH ORDARY GO FANS DONGDAN PARK.AT THAT TIME, THE AWARENS OF THE NON-GAY MUNY, DONGDAN PARK WAS A FAMO GATHERG PLACE FOR GO FANS BEIJG, AND AN OLD MAN WAS ONE OF THE MOST FAMO FOLK PLAYERS WHO THOUGHT HE HAD NO OPPONENT BEIJG.NIE WEIPG, WHO HAD JT RETURNED TO BEIJG OM HEILONGJIANG, WAS YOUNG AND ENERGETIC AND LNCHED A CHALLENGE WH THE ELRLY. AT FIRST, THE OLD MAN UNRTIMATED THE ENEMY, BUT HE WAS NTUOLY FEATED BY NIE WEIPG. AS A RULT, NIE WEIPG WAS FAMO BEIJG.AFTER CHA’S REFORM AND OPENG UP, DONGDAN PARK ONCE BEME AN ANTIQUE MARKET BEIJG. BEE OF S NVENIENT TRANSPORTATN, MANY MERCHANTS GATHERED HERE. DURG THE URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL ERNANCE 1998, THE MERCHANTS WERE ASKED TO MOVE TO PANJIAYUAN, AN ANTIQUE MARKET THAT IS STILL BS TODAY.AT THE SAME TIME, LIKE MOST EE PARKS BEIJG, DONGDAN PARK WAS OCCUPIED BY MIDDLE-AGED AND ELRLY PEOPLE WHO LOVED PHYSIL EXERCISE.AT THE SAME TIME, LIKE MOST EE PARKS BEIJG, DONGDAN PARK WAS OCCUPIED BY MIDDLE-AGED AND ELRLY PEOPLE WHO LOVED PHYSIL EXERCISE. IN THE MORNG, SOME PEOPLE DO MORNG EXERCIS AND DO AEROBICS HERE, SOME PEOPLE KICK SHUTTLECK HERE AND BASK THE SUN THE AFTERNOON, AND SOME PEOPLE PRACTICE TAI CHI, DANCE DIS FOR THE ELRLY AT DK. IT WAS ONLY WHEN NIGHT FELL THAT HOMOSEXUALS BEGAN TO VIS THE PARK.IT IS WORTH MENTNG THAT DONGDAN PARK IS ONE OF THE FEW PUBLIC PARKS BEIJG THAT HAVE BEEN OPEN EE OF CHARGE SCE S CEPTN. IN ADDN, IS LOTED THE HEART OF BEIJG AND IS THE LOTN OF CHA’S FIRST SUBWAY, ONLY 800 METERS AWAY OM BEIJG RAILWAY STATN. AT THE SAME TIME, DONGDAN PARK IS ALSO CLOSE TO THE OLD EMBASSY DISTRICT BEIJG, WH MORE FOREIGN VISORS.THE FACTORS MAY HAVE NTRIBUTED TO S BEG A SOCIAL VENUE FOR GAY BEIJG. XIDAN CULTURAL SQUARE, WHICH HAS THE SAME ATTRIBUT, WAS ONCE ANOTHER GAY SPOT BEIJG. ON THE OTHER HAND, LBIANS BEIJG ED TO BE MALY ACTIVE ZIZHUYUAN PARK.BEE A CULTURAL SYMBOL
• FOR A NSERVATIVE CY, BEIJG HAS A REMARKABLE GAY NIGHTLIFE
• BEIJG'S GAY COMMUNY FIGHTS CENSORSHIP

GAY BEIJG: EXPLORE THE THRIVG LGBTQ+ SCENE AND UNVER HIDN TREASUR

Beijg tly juxtapos the old and the new the days—ancient hutongs (rintial alleyways) populated wh h boutique bs, morn tak on culary stapl like Beijg duck, abandoned factori turned to thrivg arts districts, and an unr-the-radar yet energized LGBT get the sop on the bt, olt, and most LGBT-iendly spots, we tapped a pair of -the-know openly gay lols. Filmmaker and activist Popo Fan’s work clus makg the documentary Mama Rabow, about young Che gays and their acceptg mothers, and curatg the Beijg Queer Film Ftival. ”Tiananmen SquareThere ed to be two big toilets on both sis of Tiananmen Square, and gay men would go there for cisg 100 years ago.

Then, 100 meters down the hutong, you will see a ol cktail bar, Más, owned by a uple of Amerin gay men, and ’s very LGBT-iendly. When famo gay in Faye Wong, known for rol Wong Kar-Wai films and her mic, married her hband Dou Wei, Hong Kong paparazzi took a picture of her g a public toilet the hutong, so I would suggt you e a public toilet, too—a very typil Beijg experience.

There’s an annual event lled The Gaymazg Race and you n team up and fish specific tasks at specific bars wh lots of drkg volved.

BEIJG GAY CULTURE

On May 15, four days after s 15th anniversary and two days before the Internatnal Day Agast Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, the center said on s official WeChat acunt that was closg bee of “force majre, ” which Cha often refers to beg shut down by the ernment.

”Shrkg safe spacThe center’s closg as officials are tryg to crease the birth rate to addrs mographic ncerns Cha, which reported s first populatn cle s this year and is beg overtaken by India as the world’s most populo officials the Che ernment view homosexualy as “a malign foreign fluence that is stoppg youth om gettg married and havg children, ” said Dari Longaro, a senr fellow at the Pl Tsai Cha Center at Yale Law School who foc on LGBTQ rights.

Although homosexualy is legal Cha and major ci n have thrivg LGBTQ social scen, same-sex marriage and adoptn are not allowed and LGBTQ people are not legally protected agast people Cha say their safe spac have been squeezed unr Print Xi Jpg, who has overseen a crackdown on advocy groups sce g to power a ago.

DONGDAN PARK: BEIJG’S GAY SPOT AND S CULTURAL SYMBOLSJEFEY·FOLLOWPUBLISHED PANDA!YOO·12 M READ·MAR 23, 2020--LISTENSHAREDONGDAN PARK IS AN URBAN PARK BEIJG, AND IS KNOWN AT HOME AND ABROAD BEE IS THE OLST GAY STRONGHOLD SCE THE FOUNDG OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHA.IN AN ERA WHEN THERE IS NO INTER, OR EVEN HOMOSEXUALY WAS ILLEGAL, BEIJG’S GAY GATHERED HERE AT NIGHT SEARCH OF DATG AND SEX.THERE HAVE BEEN MANY ROMANTIC HOMOSEXUAL LOVE STORI THIS PARK, WHICH IS ONLY TWO KILOMETERS OM TIAN’ANMEN SQUARE. BUT HAS ALSO ED MANY PEOPLE TO BE FECTED WH HIV BEE OF UNSAFE SEX. IT HAS BEEN WRTEN TO DOCUMENTARY LERATURE, NOVELS, CHE MEDIA AND FOREIGN MEDIA REPORTS, AND HAS BEE THE STORY BACKGROUND OF CHE HOMOSEXUAL FILMS.WHY ON EARTH DID DONGDAN PARK BEE A GAY SPOT? WHEN DID THIS BEG? WHAT DO DONGDAN PARK LOOK LIKE NOW?IT ED TO BE A REAL GAY SPOT, BUT FOR LENNIALS, HAS GRADUALLY BEE A CULTURAL SYMBOL. THE REAL DONGDAN PARK IS ALMOST NO LONGER RELATED TO HOMOSEXUALY, BUT THE 60-YEAR HISTORY OF THE PARK HAS TO SOME EXTENT BEE A HISTORY OF GAY MEN CHA, WHICH IS STILL WORTH TELLG.ONCE THE BT-KNOWN GAY SPOT CHAAS FAR AS N BE FOUND, DONGDAN PARK HAS BEE THE EARLIT RERD OF A GAY SPOT, AN TERVIEW WH A WELL-KNOWN ELRLY GAY MAN CHA.NG GUOFENG IS ONE OF THE MOST FAMO GAY BEIJG THE LAST CENTURY. HE HAS TWO OTHER NAM, ONE IS HIS REAL NAME XIAO SHUANG, AND THE OTHER IS THE NICKNAME “LADY PARIS.”HE IS LLED THE LADY OF PARIS BEE 1962, AT THE AGE OF 23, HE MET AND FELL LOVE WH A FRENCH OK A FOREIGN EMBASSY BEIJG.NG GUOFENG PHOTOS OF DIFFERENT TIMNG GUOFENG STILL REMEMBERS THE NIGHT HE MET THE FRENCHMAN:IT WAS ALMOST DK THAT DAY, AND THERE WERE NOT MANY PEOPLE THE SQUARE. I WAS DRSED WHE: A WHE SWEATSHIRT, A WHE AT, WHE TROERS AND A WHE SRF. THE FRENCHMAN SAT OPPOSE ME, ABOUT 40 YEARS OLD, TALL AND BURLY. I LIKE THIS FOREIGNER VERY MUCH MY HEART. THE FRENCH SED AT ME, AND SO DID I.THERE WERE FEWER AND FEWER PEOPLE THE SQUARE, AND THE FRENCH SUDNLY SAID TO ME CHE: “I LOVE YOU!” I WAS NOT ON DATE, AND REPLIED A FOREIGNER’S WAY: “THANK YOU!” THE FRENCHMAN SAID, “SHALL WE GO OUT AND TALK?” I SAID, “OKAY.”AFTER THAT, NG GUOFENG DATED THE FRENCHMAN MANY TIM, SO HE GOT TO THE HAB OF LLG HIM “LADY PARIS” THE GAY MUNY BEIJG. LATER, NG GUOFENG LEARNED THAT THE FRENCHMAN WAS A OK.THE FRENCHMAN HAD A HAB OF GIVG HIM SOME POCKET MONEY AFTER EVERY DATE WH NG GUOFENG. NG GUOFENG DIDN’T WANT TO TAKE BEE HE DIDN’T WANT THE FRENCH TO THK HE WAS A PROSTUTE. BUT THE FRENCH ALWAYS THROW MONEY TO HIM WHEN THEY LEAVE AND SAY TO HIM, “YOU N BUY SOME SMETICS.”NG GUOFENG ULD ONLY KEEP THE MONEY, BUT FOR THE CHE AT THAT TIME, THERE WAS NO PLACE TO EXCHANGE FOREIGN CURRENCI TO RMB.THE RELATNSHIP DIDN’T END WELL, AND THE FRENCHMAN DIDN’T SHOW UP ON A DATE. LATER, NG FOUND THE FRENCHMAN WALKG WH OTHERS.IN SOME ARTICL, NG GUOFENG’S ENUNTER WH THE FRENCHMAN WAS SCRIBED DONGDAN PARK. BUT FACT, ACRDG TO NG GUOFENG’S OWN DICTATN, HE MET THE FRENCHMAN XIDAN CULTURAL SQUARE. BUT MOST OF THE SUBSEQUENT DAT ALSO TOOK PLACE DONGDAN PARK, AND THE NAME “LADY PARIS” WAS ALSO FORMED DONGDAN PARK.ACRDG TO NG GUOFENG’S RELLECTN, DONGDAN PARK HAD GRADUALLY BEE A GAY SPOT BEIJG AS EARLY AS 1960 WHEN HE DATED THE FRENCHMAN. LATER, WE’LL TALK ABOUT WHAT CHANGED THAT PARK THE 1960S.AT THAT TIME, THERE WERE TWO GAY SPOTS BEIJG, DONGDAN AND XIDAN, WHICH WERE LOTED ON BOTH SIS OF THE CENTRAL AXIS OF BEIJG, AROUND 2KM ON THE EAST AND WT OF TIANANMEN SQUARE, RPECTIVELY. WANG XIAOBO’S NOVEL EAST PALACE AND WT PALACE REFERS TO THE TWO PLAC. IN 1996, THE NOVEL WAS ADAPTED TO A FILM STARRG HU JUN, ZHAO WEI, SI KHAN AND OTHERS.STILLS OF THE EAST PALACE AND THE WT PALACETHE STORY SCRIBED EAST PALACE AND WT PALACE TAK PLACE DONGDAN PARK. WHEN XIAO SHI, A POLICEMAN AT THE POLICE STATN NEAR THE PARK, IS BORED ON THE NIGHT SHIFT, HE WILL ARRT ONE OR TWO HOMOSEXUALS THE PARK FOR TRIAL. ALAN IS A GAY WHO OFTEN HNTS THE PARK AND BEHAV ENCHANTG. WH MANY NTACTS, XIAO SHI LISTENED TO ALAN TALK ABOUT HIS LIFE AS A HOMOSEXUAL, AND HIS HIDN SEXUALY BEGAN TO AWAKEN. AFTER A PERD OF TEMPTATN AND ANTI-TEMPTATN, XIAO SHI FELL LOVE WH ALAN.ALTHOUGH THE FILM WAS NOT RELEASED CHA, MA DONGDAN PARK FAMO AND MA ALL CHE GAY FANTASIZE ABOUT DONGDAN PARK.THE PLOT OF “THE POLICE ARRT HOMOSEXUALS” SCRIBED THE FILM WAS ONCE A REAL PHENOMENON CHA THE END OF LAST CENTURY. NG GUOFENG WAS SENT TO REFORM THROUGH LABOR AFTER BEG REPORTED BY HIS LLEAGU 1977 (HE WAS A TEACHER). HE GOT OUT OF PRISON 1986 AND SPENT SEVEN YEARS JAIL BETWEEN THE AG OF 38 AND 47.THE CRIME OF HOOLIGANISM, WHICH HAD BEEN WILY ED TO ARRT HOMOSEXUALS, WAS LETED OM CHA’S NEW CRIMAL LAW 1997, THE SEND YEAR AFTER THE FILM WAS RELEASED. IN 2001, HOMOSEXUALY WAS REMOVED OM THE CHE CLASSIFITN AND DIAGNOSTIC CRERIA FOR MENTAL DISORRS, AND HOMOSEXUALY IS NO LONGER REGARD AS A DISEASE BY THE CHE ERNMENT.GAY MEN DONGDAN PARK. THE PHOTOS ARE ARTISTILLY PROCSED FOR PRIVACY REASONS.IN AN ERA WHEN THERE IS NO INTER AND EVEN BREAKG THE LAW, GAY MEN N’T GO TO HOTELS OR HAVE SEX AT EACH OTHER’S HOM. THEREFORE, DONGDAN PARK IS NOT ONLY THEIR DATG PLACE, BUT ALSO THEIR SEX PLACE.IN HIS 1995 BOOK HOMOSEXUALY CHA, FANG GANG, AN ASSOCIATE PROFSOR THE SCHOOL OF HUMANI AT BEIJG FORTRY UNIVERSY AND A FAMO CHE SEXOLOGIST, GAVE A TAILED ACUNT OF WHAT WAS LIKE DONGDAN PARK, WHICH WAS A STRONGHOLD OF HOMOSEXUALY AT THAT TIME:“IF YOU LOOK REFULLY, YOU WILL FD SOMETHG DIFFERENT AND STRANGE ABOUT (THE PARK). ON THE BENCH BI THE PARK PATH SAT TWOS AND THRE OF MEN. THEY SEEM TO BE VERY LEISURELY, BUT THEIR EY ARE ALWAYS EAGERLY SEARCHG FOR SOMETHG. WHEN THEY MEET A SIRED TARGET, THEY EHER SHE ONT OF THEIR EY OR LOOK AT HIM WH IMPLIED EY. “AT THE SAME TIME, THE BOOK ALSO RERDS HOW HOMOSEXUALS THE PARK E S TO INTIFY EACH OTHER:“SOMEONE WILL ASK YOU WHAT TIME IS, BUT HE HAS HIS OWN WATCH. SOMEONE WILL BORROW A LIGHTER OM YOU, BUT HE DON’T SMOKE. THE OTHER PERSON MAY STILL ASK YOU FOR DIRECTNS, BUT THE PLACE WHERE HE IS GOG IS FICTNAL. “IF YOU GIVE A POSIVE ANSWER, THEN YOU MAY HAVE SEX DIRECTLY A HIDG PLACE THE PARK. IF YOU SAY YOU DON’T KNOW ANYTHG, THE OTHER PERSON WILL REALIZE THAT YOU ARE NOT GAY OR THAT YOU ARE NOT ATTRACTED TO HIM.GAY AND TRANSGENR MEN DONGDAN PARK. THE PHOTOS ARE ARTISTILLY PROCSED FOR PRIVACY REASONS.THE REASON FOR G THE IS NOT ONLY TO AVOID HARASSG NON-GAY PARK VISORS BUT ALSO TO PREVENT BEG “FISHG LAW ENFORCEMENT” BY PLACLOTH POLICE. BEE EVEN IF HOMOSEXUALY IS CRIMALIZED, IS STILL NOT ALLOWED BY LAW TO HAVE SEX A PUBLIC PLACE SUCH AS A PARK.AT THE BEGNG OF THE 21 CENTURY, GAY SPOTS ALL OVER THE UNTRY BEME LIVELY. ANOTHER POPULAR GAY SPOT AT THAT TIME WAS “BATHG PLACE”. BEE BATHG PLACE HAVE A MORE PRIVATE ENVIRONMENT THAN PARKS, HOMOSEXUALS N HAVE SEX LOUNG OR SNAS ROOM, WHICH IS “A LTLE SAFER” THAN PARKS.BUT THE BATHG PLACE IS CHARGED, HOMOSEXUALS PAY TO ENTER, BUT MAY NOT BE ABLE TO FD A SUABLE PARTNER. SO FOR THE POOR AND THE ELRLY, THEY STILL LIKE PARKS.DONGDAN PARK AS AN “ORDARY PARK”DONGDAN PARK WAS FOUND 1955 AND WAS NOT A GAY SPOT OM THE BEGNG.IN THE IMPRSN OF MOST BEIJGERS, HAS NOTHG TO DO WH THE HOMOSEXUALY. THE REASON WHY DONGDAN PARK N BEE A GAY SPOT IS ALSO RELATED TO THE VELOPMENT OF THE PARK SELF.THE HISTORY OF DONGDAN PARK N BE TRACED BACK TO THE X CHOU TREATY SIGNED BY THE QG ERNMENT 1901. IT BEME A TRAG GROUND FOR FOREIGN TROOPS STATNED BEIJG. IN 1948, THE ERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF CHA ALSO ED THIS PLACE AS A TEMPORARY AIRPORT.THEREFORE, THE PRECSOR OF DONGDAN PARK IS JT A PIECE OF FLAT LAND. AS YOU KNOW, IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR PEOPLE TO CHOOSE AN OPEN SPACE AS A RENZVO PLACE.IN THE FIRST FIVE YEARS OF THE FOUNDG OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHA, DONGDAN PARK HAD NOT YET BEEN TABLISHED, WHEN WAS LLED THE “EAST LAND”-AN AMPLE OPEN SPACE TO THE EAST. IN 1955, THE BEIJG MUNICIPAL ERNMENT LEATED DONGDAN PARK OM THE “EAST LAND”. IN 1963, GUO MOO, A MORN CHE LTERATR, PUT UP A PLAQUE FOR DONGDAN PARK, WHICH MARKED THE OFFICIAL OPENG OF THE PARK.THE EARLY DONGDAN PARKDONGDAN PARK IS GENERALLY DIVID TO THREE PARTS: THE NORTHERN HILLS ARE LUXURIANT WH SMALL PAVILNS ON THE TOP; THE CENTRAL SQUARE IS SURROUND BY CEDAR, WHICH SETS OFF THE STATUE OF “WORKERS, PEASANTS AND SOLDIERS”; THE WTERN PART IS A FNS AREA, WHICH HAS SET UP MANY EE FNS EQUIPMENTS AFTER CHA’S REFORM AND OPENG UP.GAY MEN ARE ALMOST EXCLIVELY ACTIVE THE HILLS AND WOODS THE NORTH, WHERE THERE IS ENOUGH SHELTER TO MAKE EASIER FOR THEM TO HAVE SEX DIRECTLY THE PARK.ACRDG TO RERDS, THIS PART WAS TABLISHED AROUND 1968, WHEN SO SOVIET RELATNS WERE TENSE. THE ERNMENT DUG MANY AIR RAID SHELTERS BEIJG FOR THE POSSIBLE THIRD WORLD WAR, WHILE THE MUCK OM THE AIR RAID SHELTERS WAS PILED UP THE MAJOR PARKS BEIJG AND BETIFIED BY PLANTG TRE. THE HILLS, FORTS AND PAVILNS THE NORTH OF DONGDAN PARK WERE BUILT AT THAT TIME.BEE IS CLOSE TO DONGDAN STADIUM AND A SPORTS SCHOOL BEIJG. THEREFORE, THE HISTORY OF “ORDARY PARK”, DONGDAN PARK HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PARK WH A EP RELATNSHIP WH SPORTS.THIS YEAR’S 69-YEAR-OLD CCTV SPORTS HOST, MS. SUN ZHENGPG, RERD A “NOT A GAY SPOT” DONGDAN PARK HIS MEMOIRS:IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE CULTURAL REVOLUTN, BEIJGERS WHO LACKED ENTERTAMENT WOULD PLAY CHS, POKER, SHUTTLECK AND LOYALTY DANCE DONGDAN PARK. NIE WEIPG, A CHE PROFSNAL GO PLAYER WHO HAS WON THE NTH SECTN OF GO, ONCE NCEALED HIS INTY AND PRACTICED GO WH ORDARY GO FANS DONGDAN PARK.AT THAT TIME, THE AWARENS OF THE NON-GAY MUNY, DONGDAN PARK WAS A FAMO GATHERG PLACE FOR GO FANS BEIJG, AND AN OLD MAN WAS ONE OF THE MOST FAMO FOLK PLAYERS WHO THOUGHT HE HAD NO OPPONENT BEIJG.NIE WEIPG, WHO HAD JT RETURNED TO BEIJG OM HEILONGJIANG, WAS YOUNG AND ENERGETIC AND LNCHED A CHALLENGE WH THE ELRLY. AT FIRST, THE OLD MAN UNRTIMATED THE ENEMY, BUT HE WAS NTUOLY FEATED BY NIE WEIPG. AS A RULT, NIE WEIPG WAS FAMO BEIJG.AFTER CHA’S REFORM AND OPENG UP, DONGDAN PARK ONCE BEME AN ANTIQUE MARKET BEIJG. BEE OF S NVENIENT TRANSPORTATN, MANY MERCHANTS GATHERED HERE. DURG THE URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL ERNANCE 1998, THE MERCHANTS WERE ASKED TO MOVE TO PANJIAYUAN, AN ANTIQUE MARKET THAT IS STILL BS TODAY.AT THE SAME TIME, LIKE MOST EE PARKS BEIJG, DONGDAN PARK WAS OCCUPIED BY MIDDLE-AGED AND ELRLY PEOPLE WHO LOVED PHYSIL EXERCISE.AT THE SAME TIME, LIKE MOST EE PARKS BEIJG, DONGDAN PARK WAS OCCUPIED BY MIDDLE-AGED AND ELRLY PEOPLE WHO LOVED PHYSIL EXERCISE. IN THE MORNG, SOME PEOPLE DO MORNG EXERCIS AND DO AEROBICS HERE, SOME PEOPLE KICK SHUTTLECK HERE AND BASK THE SUN THE AFTERNOON, AND SOME PEOPLE PRACTICE TAI CHI, DANCE DIS FOR THE ELRLY AT DK. IT WAS ONLY WHEN NIGHT FELL THAT HOMOSEXUALS BEGAN TO VIS THE PARK.IT IS WORTH MENTNG THAT DONGDAN PARK IS ONE OF THE FEW PUBLIC PARKS BEIJG THAT HAVE BEEN OPEN EE OF CHARGE SCE S CEPTN. IN ADDN, IS LOTED THE HEART OF BEIJG AND IS THE LOTN OF CHA’S FIRST SUBWAY, ONLY 800 METERS AWAY OM BEIJG RAILWAY STATN. AT THE SAME TIME, DONGDAN PARK IS ALSO CLOSE TO THE OLD EMBASSY DISTRICT BEIJG, WH MORE FOREIGN VISORS.THE FACTORS MAY HAVE NTRIBUTED TO S BEG A SOCIAL VENUE FOR GAY BEIJG. XIDAN CULTURAL SQUARE, WHICH HAS THE SAME ATTRIBUT, WAS ONCE ANOTHER GAY SPOT BEIJG. ON THE OTHER HAND, LBIANS BEIJG ED TO BE MALY ACTIVE ZIZHUYUAN PARK.BEE A CULTURAL SYMBOL

“Although Cha is beg more open to now, ’s still difficult for sexual mori to work state anizatns as rights-bearg officials bee of tradnal homophobic social norms.

In this blog, we will explore the bt gay-iendly tablishments, events, and attractns, ensurg an unfettable experience for all visors.

FOR A NSERVATIVE CY, BEIJG HAS A REMARKABLE GAY NIGHTLIFE

Gay bars Sanlun such as the now-funct Lemon Tree were once a venue for gay rights’ events, when the untry was still jt openg up to any form of public disurse on homosexualy. We’ll take you on a tour of the cy’s most popular gay bars and clubs, where you n dance, enjoy live performanc, and revel the lively atmosphere.

Gay Beijg snas vary qualy and cleanls, but generally are a far cry om the gleamg, morn snas you n fd other major Asian and European hubs. Blued, the Che versn of Grdr, is wily ed as a platform to create muny gay cisg groups such as the popular Beijg subway groups.

We’ll remend gay-iendly rtrants and f where you n relish thentic Che cuise or savor ternatnal flavors, all wh a welg and clive environment. Dpe the fact that Cha still has a long way to go terms of homosexualy acceptance, a cultural foc on the rpect of privacy means that most hotels Beijg are gay-iendly. Their HIV clic tak place on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday afternoons on the 4th floor, and is n by Danlan, the LGBT anizatn behd Cha’s gay datg app Blued.

BEIJG'S GAY COMMUNY FIGHTS CENSORSHIP

Cha’s rate of HIV fectn is 5-6%, but ris to 20% amongst the hight-risk groups, which clu the patrons of gay snas and brothels. As a foreigner who spent around a year livg Beijg I uld see that the ia of "gay" was very different to the one I knew the Wt.

It is today, as was then, a term acknowledgg a shared characteristic (gayns) while at the same time puttg addrser and addrsee on the same level, where beg a tongzhi means ltle bee when you are a ra, so are all the other ras. This is one of the betiful paradigms of Che culture: although homosexualy is not officially fully tolerated, and although many people may not unrstand or like , Beijgers will not take on themselv to openly tell other people how to live their life. Not only is he tellg them he is gay, that there will probably be no grandchildren, that there will be no weddg and no wife, he is also tellg them that the fay le, the rhythm of hundreds of years of Che tradn will end wh him bee there is no brother who n step to the role.

For most Che tellg their parents that they are gay is credibly difficult; however do not necsarily mean that there is rentment and that the fay nnectn broken.