Enter the unknown, Shanghai’s Area 51

More gun toting than alien loving, Shanghai's own Area 51 spices up the Suzhou Creek area.

Shanghai nightlife is finally trying to spice things up a little bit. We’re not quite sure that an ode to the "secret" U.S. military base allegedly home to UFOs is the best we can do, but at least it’s something new in the Suzhou Creek area.

Decked out in decor that would fit better at a NRA rally than a bar (or Star Trek convention), Area 51, according to SmartShanghai, is “all straight-up military worship -- painstakingly recreated military dioramas, guns on the walls, stock military photography, model tanks and planes, lots of mannequins wearing various army uniforms, a stack of Chinese gun magazines if you fancy a read, and also a little mini sand-bagged bunker in the corner in which you can play the shooting game.”

Apparently this place is also known as a PLA hangout on weekends. If Santa missed “more Chinese military buddies” on your wish list this Christmas, here’s a chance to fix this oversight.

If you can overlook the fear that someone’s going to pull out a live round at the first bar dispute, beers are only RMB 20 and the foosball and pool tables are new. Always a plus. 

If you’re not up for hauling all the way up to Suzhou Creek for an ammo-filled night, there’s always the Shanghai Modern Military Sports Club on Huaihai Lu (7/F, 701 Huaihai Zhong Lu, near Sinan Lu 淮海中路701号7楼, 近思南路). Or go medieval for a night and shoot things the old fashiond way, bow and arrow in hand at Daoshun Archery (293 Yunnan Nan Lu,near Huaihai Dong Lu 云南南路293号, 近淮海东路). It's open 'til 2am, the perfect night cap.

In other Shanghai news…

Half a dozen on display: Don Gallery features Alina Cyranek, Dong Wensheng, Mou-Hoo, Liu Ren, Maleonn and Lore Vanelslande in its Six Artists’ Exhibition. 

Hot wheels: Local netizens get all revved up about a White Bugatti Veyron trolling downtown Shanghai.

Soft opening: Approximately 4,000 people get to test out the new Hongqiao International Airport terminal on March 6, 10 days before it opens.

A free man: Korean American missionary Robert Park gets caught up in a media storm after being freed from detention by North Korea.

Haibao on the outs: Authorities are cracking down on local markets and metro stations selling shanzhai Haibao and Expo souvenirs.

A borough-bred Manhattanite, Jessica Beaton has lived in Shanghai for three years working as a magazine editor and freelancer writer. She's now the Shanghai city editor at CNNGo.

Read more about Jessica Beaton