Pomme O'Chai: Shunyi Bar's Last Stand

Shunyi's bar scene takes a battering this weekend, with Pomme O'Shea's (formerly The Pomegranate) hosting a final "Wrecking Party" on Saturday (Nov 5), days before it is scheduled to be demolished on November 10.

We're familiar with stories of bars being destroyed as areas are redeveloped, but this may be the first time a bar gets destroyed because an entire village faces the chop. The Pomme's home at Baixinzhuang is being razed to make way for new property developments, and while the demolition has been on the cards for some time, the bar's owners are obviously upset to see their beloved bar go.

No bar eviction/demolition story is complete without a landlord dispute, and in this case the Pomme's owners are seeking compensation which the landlord has thus far refused to offer up. A statement from the Pomme reads:

"When re-entering our lease we were always worried about the possibility of the village being knocked down and along with it our beautiful bar. We were told by our landlady that we safe - no chance of them knocking us. Last January, when we decide to give the place a facelift and put in a new heating system we asked again, to be assured that we would have at least two more years, and not to worry. So we went ahead with the renovations. Last Wednesday, someone from the village told us they were knocking us and we needed to leave. We began to investigate. First we called our landlady, who said 'No, you're OK.' Then we went looking for the demolition team, who told us 'Yes, you will be knocked.' We issued the landlady with a letter asking for confirmation one way or another. She responded with: 'I'm angry you asked, if it is knocked it is nothing to do with me.' When we asked if we could have our deposit back or compensation, the answer was a firm 'No' ..."

Wherever this dispute goes, and although Friday was supposed to be the closing night, the Pomme's ownership is determined to enjoy one last hurrah on Saturday night. It's all-you-can-drink for RMB 200, and nobody's going home until there's not a drop left in the house. We're told not to expect a showdown between landlord and tenant, so it should be safe enough, but then again, once the bar's dry the customers might well just decide to go ahead and knock the bar down themselves ... Anyway, a fond farewell to the Pomme from the Beijinger.