How to Find the Perfect Venue for Any Occasion via Dianping App
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If you're anything like us, finding the perfect venue for your birthday/wedding/Brony convention can be a seemingly neverending trawl of communication and detail checking. How many people? How much? From when to when? What facilities? It's enough to make you want to give up before the invitation list is even assembled.
Well, there's a simple tool that with a little Chinese brings the world hidden venues straight to your fingertips: Dazhong Dianping's 轰趴馆 hōng pā guǎn function. A phonetic literation and shortening of "Home Party," Hom Pa (hōng pā) plus guǎn (pavilion or mansion) indicate specific venues perfect for partying, annual meetings, or team building events.
Just from a cursory search, it's amazing at how many 轰趴馆 are available in the capital and further afield, and they span everything from entire floors in high-rise apartments to mansions in the countryside and traditional Chinese courtyards that nestle you away from the hustle and bustle of central Beijing. Each venue sports particular facilities such as billiard tables to dartboards, karaoke rooms to boardgame dungeons, each outfitted to best suit the needs of their occupants.
To browse what Beijing has to offer, you'll first need to download the latest version of the Dazhong Dianping app (大众点评 dàzhòng diǎnpíng) on your phone. Below we help you browse the main functions with English translations. You'll likely have to ask a Chinese-speaking friend for help with the more nitty-gritty portions.
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On the home screen, swipe left for more options. If it does not appear, type 轰趴馆 into the search bar.
Click the mask logo to see those venues designated suitable for "Home Parties"
From the Home Party main screen you can browse by name, location, rank, or various filters
Under the "Distance" tab you can browse venues by neighborhood or distance from your current position
Under the "Ranking" tab you can further define venues based on metrics such as ranking, price, and popularity
Under the "Filter" tab you can browse venues by available discounts, price, and features
By clicking on a venue, you can see its facilities as well as whether there are any discounts available
Scroll down to browse ratings about specific elements of the venue i.e by key words (environment, staff etc.) and pictures
Click on specific coupons to see what the venue will offer (duration, facilities etc.)
Finally, view the overall price, content, and coupon conditions carefully before selecting your payment method
Once you finish this step, you'll be asked to pay. The coupon (and adjoining QR code) can be found in the app – simply show the vendor the coupon when you turn up. Be aware however that the app does not currently allow you to specify a time that you'd like to redeem the coupon, so we heartily recommend calling ahead of time to check whether the venue will be free when you're hoping to use it.
READ: How to Deliver Almost Anything in a Matter of Hours via Shansong Courier Service
Images: Dianping, Zhihu
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