Gay Guide
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About LGBTQ+ Shanghai
China decriminalized homosexuality in 1997 and removed it from its list of mental illnesses in 2001, but there is no legal recognition of same-sex relationships, and public LGBTQ+ organizing has grown increasingly restricted. Shanghai, the country's cosmopolitan financial hub, nonetheless holds one of the most developed queer scenes in mainland China.
The center of gravity is the former French Concession, the leafy, atmospheric district whose lanes around Julu Road and the neighboring Changning area hold the city's gay bars and mixed venues. The scene is lively but low-profile: ShanghaiPride ran from 2009 until it was shut down under government pressure in 2020, and there is no longer an official Pride, so nightlife has become the community's main gathering ground.
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Shanghai pairs its Bund skyline, art-deco heritage, and relentless modern energy with a queer culture that persists quietly.
Visitors are unlikely to be hassled in gay spaces, but discretion is the norm outside them, and community events keep a deliberately low profile.
Annual LGBTQ+ film festival in Shanghai screening queer cinema from China and internationally, part of the broader queer cultural scene that has developed in the city.
Annual LGBTQ+ tourism and cultural week in Shanghai, showcasing queer-friendly venues, events, and experiences for LGBTQ+ visitors to China's most international city.
Annual queer film festival held as part of ShanghaiPRIDE, which ran from 2009 to 2020 as one of China's most significant LGBTQ+ events before authorities ended its operations.
Chic Shanghai gay club with red lighting and a circular bar, drawing locals and travelers for weekend dance parties.
One of Shanghai's hottest gay bars (formerly 390), with a ground-floor dance floor, intimate upstairs, and wild weekend theme parties.