My Tender Attachment to ‘Destination’, China’s Biggest Gay Club
My seven-year love affair started my second year in Beijing
In my second year in Beijing, on a night when the temperature was starting to drop, I finally found myself with a group of friends I’d just met, trying to hide my curiosity and excitement as we headed into Destination, Beijing’s — and possibly China’s — largest gay club.
The club is located in one of the core areas for Beijing nightlife. Unlike many semi-underground clubs or those in shopping malls, it’s a standalone four-story building, with high walls and iron gates that separate it from the outside world.
Weekends are incredibly busy, and when we got there, the line stretched all the way to the street. I was shivering from the cold, not daring to look directly at people, so I focused on the posters on the walls. Most advertised weekend theme parties, free HIV testing, and various cultural events on the third-floor “diversity zone.”
The entrance was crowded with people holding drinks and chatting. Everyone seemed to be in groups, wearing very little despite the cold, and their faces didn’t show any sign of discomfort. Very few were alone, and the laughter and chatter rose and fell like waves. I had never seen so many gay people gathered together.
