what goes on at night?

Nanning seems to come alive at night.  Maybe this is because it's so hot during the day (I'm told hot and humid is what I should expect in the summer).

I like to visit some of the surrounding areas to see the activity going on.  On the street where I live lots of restaurants put tables out on the kerb and they have barbeque's burning all night, with the likes of fish (delicious) to chicken feet (not my favourite).

I also notice that there are many barber/hairdresser shops and they all seem to be open until about midnight, with clientele.

Opposite my house I can hear the clacking of majong tiles.  I've walked past a few places that seem to be majong rooms.  I haven't played any here, I'm sure I'd never keep up!

Another popular game is chinese checkers.  I've only seen men play this, usually at a small table outside a home/restaurant/shop.  There are also tables in some of the parks which get filled with men playing chinese chess.

I went to have dinner with a friend to a place called Little Sheep.  The speciality there was hot pot (or what we know as chinese fondue).  It was delicious, and obviously very popular as the restaurant was packed.

the 'hot wok' is split to allow for spicy and non-spicy broth

chinese fondue on the street

On the way home we passed a tea shop and they invited us in to share tea with them. There is a whole ceremony in brewing and pouring the tea, even in thanking the server.  This is known as kungfu tea.

kungfu tea set

Minzu Square, near our school, is the square in front of a government building.  At night this gets filled with people having dancing lessons, doing tai chi or taking a keep fit class.  It's amusing to see.

Sometimes, after work, especially after our long weekend (most of our classes are taught on Saturday and Sunday), we go to a bar for a drink.  One of our favourites is on what we've dubbed as Tequila Street where some of the group likes to drink 'bikinis'.

If you'd ever wanted to try kareoke, then this is the place.  There seems to be a KTV bar (that's what kareoke is called here) on every corner.  We went to one for a friend's birthday.  You hire a private room for your group.  Inside is a kareoke machine, some tv screens and microphones.  You get comfy sofas and bar service.  Each room is soundproofed so you don't hear your neighbours singing.  It was a surreal experience, like being in someone's house rather than a bar.

For people (like me) who prefer to watch a band than sing, there is a great Jazz club.  The band is one American and 4 Chinese.  The singer sings both english and chinese songs. 

I also saw a traditional Guangxi performance at one of the scenic areas nearby.

Finally, if you really want to be like the locals, you need to walk down the street in your pyjamas!