[seanmcdirmid]

> it's all night clubs and totally ruins the old town's feeling.

Ya, totally agree. But there are nice things to do around Lijiang, at least (mountains, gorges). And I have fond memories drinking with Chinese friends there. You aren't going to get great drinks in tourist towns anyways, not like the fancy bars in Beijing/Shanghai.

[iopq]

Beijing bars are too expensive or the drinks are too weak. I haven't found a bar that is actually a good value for cocktails, so I usually go out for beers which are surprisingly good

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g303781-d12429...

this bar in Dali is the best one I've been to in China

[seanmcdirmid]

You need to know the scene. But my info is 7 years out of date.

[iopq]

Beijing is so big, but if you go into a random bar it's usually crap, I wonder why that is