Looked at from outside, Dayingpan, a small bar in Taiyuan, is no different from any other bars with its melodious music and dim light. Waiters are serving in the room. It has a small door. However, to gays and lesbians, a great world is reveal when one opens it.
Some homosexuals come to the bar on weekdays. However, the bar becomes a bustling place on weekends. This reporter arrived at the bar at 8 o'clock one morning, which was still early to many homosexual members there.
Later, people came in twos and threes. For gays, they would only change to female clothes at this time. Some ordered a cup of tea and some ordered some beer. People sat in pairs on the sofa, chatting or staring at each other affectionately. These people said they could recognize homosexuals at a glance.
At 10:40, the bar was filled with people. Some people walked around occasionally, hugging or kissing each other, or drinking together. Among the men appearing in the party in female clothes, some looked even more attractive than real women. A gay, called Meng Meng, had just taken a breast surgery. Today, he wore a dress that could expose his sizable breasts. Another man, called Xiao Yu, had a slim figure and a beautiful face. He even wore long hair. If he didn’t appear in this bar, no one would believe that he was actually a male.
At 11 o'clock, the party went into a peak time. Many people came to the stage to give performances.
“I would feel lonely, puzzled, depressed if I don't come here to see them. Because that would make me think that I am not the only one in the world to live in this way,” said Duo Duo. He often came to the bar to find his partners. It also made him realize that he was still part of the society.
Apart from Dayingpan Bar, there are two other bars in Taiyuan open to homosexuals. One is in Kaihuasi and the other near the Taoyuan 4th Lane. Besides, there is a public bathroom in the west side of Nanneihuanqiao, and a public gathering place in the west part of Yingzeqiao. Some gays and lesbians also hold small parties in their homes.
Although Taiyuan is an inland city, its residents hold a quite liberal attitude towards homosexuals. Not only bars open to gays are allowed to do business in the city, a public venue open to lesbians was recently opened in the west side of Nanneihuanqiao, too. Many lesbians go there. Some gays also go there from time to time.
