Fangjia Hutong's Hot Cat Club Raided; Patrons Drug Tested
Hot Cat Club, one of the few bars left standing on Dongcheng's now unrecognizable Fangjia Hutong, was raided last night and patrons were tested for drugs, according to Fun Guide.
The raid occurred prior to what was set to be Comedy Club China's final open mic at Hot Cat, which has been home to the event for the past five years. However, prior to the first act taking the stage at around 9.30pm, two police vehicles are reported to have turned up to kill the vibe.
Initially, the police moseyed around, taking pictures of the bar, before ramping their investigative skills into overdrive, requiring patrons to provide proof of their passports and undergo urine tests.
The article goes on to say that one attendee was detained. It doesn't specify as to whether they have since been released.
With the 19th Plenum just around the corner, we can expect similar raids to increase throughout the city until it comes to a conclusion in late October. It's a good idea to carry a copy or picture of your passport (or better yet, the real deal) during these next few weeks so as to at least speed up processing if you happen to be caught up in future raids.
In the meantime, Fangjia Hutong continues to limp along as a ghost of its former self, Hot Cat Club existing as one of the last remaining bars on the street that all of a month ago was one the city's liveliest F&B hubs.
Despite the sad end to their stint at Hot Cat, Comedy Club China are set to move their open mic sessions over to Beiluogu Xiang's 8-Bit, the first penned for Oct 25.
Photo: BeijingBoyce.com
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