Beaming best

The Black Sun provides patrons with a ray of originality in the popular Chaoyang West Gate Bar Street. It would make Helios proud. The Black Sun's two perfectly partitioned hemispheres create a black-meets-white, class-meets-crass sensation that older western expats seem to love.

On the brighter side of the bar, golden lights set at a low level lend an orange taint to the posters of potations that paint the walls.

Jazz, blues and the occasional old-school hip-hop song hum out of the DJ's speakers just loud enough for the whole bar to hear clearly. On this side of the bar, one can take part in a mini-Olympics with two football tables, a pool table and dartboard available for fun and games.