Lhasa, long known as the "Sunlight City," is becoming an "All Night City" with a rich and colorful nightlife emerging in recent years.

When night falls on the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region around 9 p.m., swarms of people still linger on downtown's Qingnian, or Youth Road, which is renowned for its high concentration of clothing stores. Some of the stores remain open until midnight.

In other parts of the country, some people find entertainment in karaoke halls, but Tibetan residents in Lhasa usually prefer the "Langma" halls, Tibetan-style recreational centers.

Visitors to the halls can drink beer and enjoy traditional Tibetan singing and dancing by professional and amateur artists.

"Langma," which means "royal music" in Tibetan, used to be a privilege reserved for noblemen, but is now the favorite pastime of ordinary Tibetans.

However, pop songs and Western classics also have a market in Lhasa, mostly among the young Tibetans and people from outside the region.

Fang Hai, a businessman from the coastal province of Zhejiang, frequents a local pub named "New Start" in west Lhasa.

"Drinking beer, listening to music and chatting in the pub really makes me relax after a day's work," said Fang.

He said that he had expected a dull life in Lhasa before arriving, and was greatly surprised to see that the entertainment is as good as his hometown's.

As Lhasa attracts an increasing number of Western tourists, foreigners are also coming to look for money-making oppor-tunities.

Fred, from the Nether-lands, opened a restaurant serving Western food on Lhasa's Beijing Road, attracting many Western travelers seeking home-style food and drink.

( eastday.com September 11, 2002)