For gay men around the world, the gym is always a potential hunting ground, and, no, not this type of hunting. Shanghai is no different from any other metropolis in this regard (but is put to shame by this place in “conservative” Singapore, which Shanghaiist believes to be the only 24-hour gay gym with foam parties in Asia ... please leave a comment if we’re wrong!).

After taking an impromptu survey at Club Deep over the weekend, Shanghaiist can say with confidence that we have the very first, but hopefully not the last, ranking of the gayest gyms in China or, at least Shanghai.

Drum roll please. The winners are ...

1. Physical Gym (Hong Kong Plaza on Huaihai Lu) Some optimistic estimates predict 50 percent of the male population is swinging the gay way
2. Physical Gym Xujiahui (Zhaojiabang Lu) Dark and dirty, like some men prefer
3. Fitness First (Plaza 66 on Nanjing Lu) Higher quality men, but less quantity

Typical workout stories range from the innocent cruising that begins with the after-work crowd around 7 pm to the not-at-all-sexy downright weird variety. For example, the use of dryers for hair on the top of the head as well as pubic hair (in front and back!), as Shanghaiist’s great editor experienced, ergh, witnessed years ago. Dan, did your gym make it to the top three?

The more scandalous anecdotes probably can’t be divulged on a, ahem, respectable website like Shanghaiist, but encompass steamy sauna room encounters and masturbatory stalkers in the shower that take advantage of curtains that won’t close completely.

For Shanghaiist’s straight guy friends who are now wary of taxi drivers, you may want to find a woman who can appreciate that beer belly!

Other brief gay news ...
Since there is no new news, Shanghai’s No. 1 Fag Hag will share a little weekend anecdote about the worst night out at a bar in a long time ... and we have the bruises to prove it. After a few drinks at Manifesto, which featured the snippetiest (is that a word?!) waitress in Shanghai (and she still asked for a tip--three times--until a friend caved under the pressure and gave her 50rmb), we headed to Club Deep.

Following excessive dancing, Shanghaiist needed water and since Perrier was the only one available, ordered it. However, this drink has the unfortunate or craftily planned marketing scheme of being encased in a green bottle, just like a Tsingtao or Heineken beer. The drunken lout next to us obviously fell for the ploy and mistakenly grabbed our drink and, obstinately, refused to give it back. After an infantile, tug-of-war fight with a man I would classify as a true bear, a triumphant, but battered, fag hag rose victorious with her sparkling water safe in hand, but her dignity (for the night) lost.

If you have some tips that can make this section more informative next time, send them to shanghaifaghag at gmail.com…

Photo from reflexblue.