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The Chinese youth, especially the white collars in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai, now form a fashion of seeking stylish life. To them, grace is something that needs guidance, since it connects with not individuals but social atmosphere. With times' development, the distinction between grace and fashion has been blurred out. Long hair can be graceful, skinniness can be graceful, and acting cool can also be graceful. Grace has actually been nothing but a wish.

The fashionable youth would have their breakfast in McDonald's. Sitting near a window, they can feel the warm sunshine in winter. Young ladies think it worthy to buy those famous brands on sale, and a silk scarf or long socks will add to their femininity. Theaters are an often-visited place since modern operas and ballet are graceful. In the afternoon if they have spare time, Starbark is a good place to enjoy coffee and loneliness. When dining with strangers, they would tell the waiter to bring a glass of water, or of course, it is also a proper choice when they cannot read a French menu. The magazine Fashion is in style, just as their life. But do not read it in subways, or join any activities the magazine holds, for they are out of style. Most of all, do not let others know they buy things under its guidance, which is the least graceful. They would always go shopping in the Xiushui market, even window-shopping sometimes. With the most fashionable wearing and ornaments there, they can be sensitive to the prevailing trends.

As to entertainment, most of them seem to be able to play tennis very well for it is a noble sport. And their favorite TV program is Channel V; it is out of style to stick to long TV series. They prefer their talk mingled with some English words rather than speak English. And the reasons can be explained like this, Eh, this is because...I don't know the word in Chinese...very truebred.

The above is only a picture of the fashionable life of Beijing youth, and some feature stores and bars are introduced here to provide a better understanding for you.

Beijingers refer to Sanlitun Road as the 'Golden Street,' which may have as much to do with the price of real estate as the fact that business is booming there. Sanlitun Road must account for about 75% of the bar-cafes in town. Jazz Ya is an enormous place and one of the busiest nightspots in Beijing. The official address is 18 Sanlitun Rd, although it's actually hidden in a small alley just to the east of the main road. It's open 10:30am to 2am and may be the first bar related with jazz in Beijing. Nearby, Dai Sy's Pub at 48 Sanlitun Rd is a very popular place and has outdoor tables. It opens early and is a good spot for lunch and dinner. Maggie's Bar on Xinyuan Rd is the place to go if you want to stay out all night--operating hours are typically from 6pm to 5am. Among these bars, Loft has an original name. A smart guy didn't translate it as Warehouse in Chinese, but A Coolness-hidden place, which coincides the same Chinese pronunciation with Warehouse. It is designed with a postmodern style; people sit in the open while trees are grown in glass houses. This interesting place can be found at 14 Jianwai Street. Near Beijing University, there is a coffee shop called Carving Time, which is beloved by many college students.

An old bookshelf takes up a whole wall, with the shopkeeper's favorite books, movies, pictures on it. At 17 Dongdaqiao Street in Chaoyang District, there sits a small shop of classic beauty. Several red lanterns are hung from the eaves, and on the old-fashioned door a red silk curtain is put on which embroidered Green Pheonis & Red Dragon, the name of the shop. It is a tailor's shop makes clothes to order. There is a shop called Grass-eater's, which sells products of genuine cattle hide made by hand.

Written by our column writer Hao Zhuo.

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