In the summer months, one of the most popular things to do at night is to eat on one of Xining's renowned "eat streets." The biggest one is on Daxin Jie, where touts sell everything from barbecued fish to fried dumplings. Warning: This isn't the most hygienic environment; make sure you use disposable chopsticks.
You'll have to walk down a flight of stairs to get to the subterranean New York Subway (Niuyue Ditie), on Nanguan Jie 57, Xining's hippest nightclub. Owned by an American, the venue features a DJ spinning decent Western techno music while young women in tight bikini bottoms and bra tops dance around a stage. For a more sedate drinking spot, try Soho (tel. 0971/822-3299; open 6pm-2am), behind the Sports Center on Ximen, which features R&B most nights. Another popular nighttime activity is a visit to a Tibetan nangma, a variety show with singing and dancing. One of the most popular, for both Tibetan and Han Chinese, is on the seventh floor of the Xinshidai Dasha (tel. 0971/610-8758). The entertainment runs nightly from 9:30pm to 1:30am.
