Somehow, I feel that there must be more to this story. Not that it excuses the incident, but bouncers generally don't start wailing on someone completely "unprovoked." Moreover, Mark Zhang doesn't strike me as the type who would hire the kind of bouncers that would.

I'll be very interested to see Elements' response, if any, as this is the kind of report that could very easily kill such a new club.

Pretty much guaranteed, you get into a fight in China and go down
to the ground, you are going to get your head kicked in by a group.

They don't go by the Marquess of Queensberry Rules, I guess you
would call it the Chinese version of a "Boot Party".




Sarah Ting-ting Hou, an American working at magazine City Weekend, was also allegedly assaulted by two young Chinese men in Sanlitun on May 23.

Hou told the Global Times the pair tried to grab her through a car window as she was walking home at 3 am.

She asked a foreign couple for help, but they too were attacked. Hou said she was kicked in the face and chest. She called the 110 emergency line, and informed the US embassy.

http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/714568.shtml

Violent thugs make up a large percentage of the local level Chinese government payroll. No surprises if they are redirected against foreigners to revive nationalistic spirits.

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The embassy statement makes it seem like the guy did nothing wrong and that bouncers decided to attack him. At the very least he was hitting on some girl and probably defended his actions to a drunk dongbei guy. Maybe it was a random attack, but its unlikely in this case.

As for Sarah ting-ting Hou. Doesn't exactly sound like the kind of name that would be associated with a 'foreign' face.

SLT
After watching this video...one might think twice
about steering clear of that area.
Caution: this video is very disturbing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzWQP...e_gdata_player

Wow, no one had any desire to stop the really drunk guy who could've easily been stopped......

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I have to say, I found the video extremely disturbing to watch. What shocked me was not the violence per se -- sadly, excess alcohol leads to idiots becoming total idiots -- and rather nasty fights happen every single week in most major world cities (and many more besides). But in the UK at least, the aggressor would very quickly be pulled off the victim by his 'mates'. I don't go to SLT at night (child keeps us at home for the most part), but I would have thought there would be a lot of police -- there's a little station just up that road! Why weren't they on the scene straight away?

tb

Surely mayhem is a crime. If not, they should consider adding it.

My previous post is still accurate. Stay away from drinking and bars and acting like a tool and you are safe. If you are really concerned you can also avoid Beijing in favor of more civilized locals in the east and south.

I agree, but I'll add one more point: I often drink when I'm in China -- but choose where you drink. Clubs and pick-up bars that attract 20-somethings may be a problem; upscale restaurants are definitely not.

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IMO, the police are not doing their jobs in the greater Sanlitun area. Beijing municipal government needs to get a grip on this problem, which is definitely on the increase. Not just Chinese vs foreigner, but Chinese vs Chinese and the general level of hooliganism among young Chinese males. I also think the police are afraid that when they start reeling in the assaulters in this area of the city, they'll find sons of the cadres and of wealthy business families.

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