Press Release

First Guide to Gay and Lesbian China
A Revealing Glimpse at the World of Chinese Gays and Lesbians

Utopia Guide to China
the Gay and Lesbian Scene in 45 Chinese Cities
Including Hong Kong and Macau

China, Sep 12 2005: The Utopia Guide to China is the first printed book to detail the gay and lesbian scene in 45 Chinese cities including Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Hong Kong, Kunming, Nanjing, Macau, Shanghai, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Suzhou, Xiamen, and Xian.

Listed within are contact details for organizations and businesses that are popular social alternatives for both Chinese and foreign homosexuals. In addition to bars, discos, bookshops, spas, and restaurants, there is also a special section for women, highlighting Chinese groups and clubs that are especially welcoming to lesbians.

Hundreds of savvy comments and recommendations from local gays provide insights for both seasoned travelers and armchair explorers. The guidebook is multi-lingual, with Chinese instructions for taxi drivers included for some of the most popular venues.

The earliest historical records of homosexuality in China date back to the Shang Dynasty (1,700 B.C.) and China's long literary tradition offers many elegant references to socially accepted gay relationships among the ruling elite. However, the lives and loves of common folk and women were rarely valued highly enough to be put into song, verse, or scholarly library, and so this guidebook is also an important historical
documentation of an overlooked sub-culture as it emerges from the shadows.

The Utopia Guide to China offers a remarkable insider's glimpse at the everyday gay and lesbian lifestyle currently enjoyed by millions of queer comrades.

The book is available for sale now in printed and electronic form at
www.lulu.com/content/150561 and will be available in bookstores internationally and on popular online book retailers in October.

A pioneer on the Internet, Utopia has been Asia's most popular resource for gays and lesbians since 1994. Utopia's website is located at www.utopia-asia.com and more information about Utopia may be found at www.utopia-asia.com/utopiais.htm

"These fun pages dish out the spice on even the most buttoned-up spots in Asia." -- TIME
Magazine TIME Traveler

"A really good place to start looking for information... excellent coverage of gay and lesbian events and activities across Asia." -- Lonely Planet

For more information please contact:

Book Information:

Cover Art:
433KB hi-res jpeg image: http://www.utopia-asia.com/unews/pix/china05front.jpg
medium size jpeg image: http://www.utopia-asia.com/pix/chincov1.jpg
small jpeg image: http://www.utopia-asia.com/shop/pix/chincov1.jpg

Book Preview:
1620KB pdf: http://www.utopia-asia.com/unews/ChinaGuide05preview.pdf

Date of Publication: August, 2005

Format: 6" X 9" softcover

Number of Pages: 160

Photographs: 26 black and white, 4 color

Price: US$21.99

ISBN: 1-4116-4185-X

Publisher: Utopia-Asia.com