Bars: Hangzhou has a lively and varied bar scene. Common's Place, 1 Wanshouting Road, behind the Radisson Plaza, is a laidback and friendly bar attracting locals and visitors. Reggae Bar, 95 Shuguang Road, is a pulsing music bar with well-priced drinks frequented by foreign teachers and students. Bar 1828, 262 Nanshan Road, serves excellent home-brewed beer, while Shamrock Irish Pub, 89 Jiefang Road, has Guinness and Kilkenny beers on tap and a live Filipino covers band Wednesday through to Saturday nights. More sedate is Bellevue Bar, 2/F Hyatt Regency, an elegant cocktail lounge.

Clubs: The club scene changes fast, with regular new openings (and closures) Club G Plus, 6/F Wahaha Plaza, 169 Qingchun Road, frequently attracts international DJs. Lake of Dreams, 103-13 Nanshan Road, is a small, lively club with well-priced drinks. Boiling 100°C, 1-2/F, 48 Hubin Road, is the hippest club in the city with hi-tech sound system and video projections.

Live Music: Sibling of the Shanghai original. JZ Club, 6 Liuying Road, near Nanshan Road, is a live jazz venue in a beautiful old villa near the lake. For live Latino tunes and salsa beats, Night and Day, 240 Nanshan Road, rocks until the early hours at weekends.

Two English-language city magazines, InTouch Zhejiang and More (website: www.morehangzhou.com) offer sightseeing, dining and nightlife information.