Gate of the Nine Dragons: The Courtyard Art Space & Club Changing Dongsi’s Scene

"If you want underground indie music, we're doing real indie stuff here," Laurence J. Brahm, owner and proprietor of Gate of the Nine Dragons, jokes while giving me a tour of the tiny bomb shelter that’s been converted into a nightclub. It’s a space that’s one of the many quirks of Nine Dragons, a nightclub, two bars (three if you count the club), arts hub, and shrine to old school kung fu movies all rolled into one converted historic courtyard home on Dongsi Liutiao.

Opened in 2022, Nine Dragons is a passion project for Brahm, who is also a prolific filmmaker with a number of award-winning documentaries under his belt. These passions extend to everything from Chinese martial arts to history to music to visual art, and the space is a way for him to encompass all these.

Entering through Nine Dragons’ scarlet doors on a balmy July day – welcomed by a sign proclaiming “Get the full qi experience!” – it’s immediately cool inside, with the sun not having any place to invade in the afternoon. The courtyard is small, with a rock garden in the center – hiding the old shelter underneath – surrounded by tables and wicker chairs.

I’m led to a room on the south side of the courtyard, and immediately I’m sent back in time: Besides the small wooden bar to my left, there are vintage couches, a coffee table, and all sorts of retro memorabilia scattered about. It’s as if I’ve stepped into a ‘50s- or ‘60s-era living room, complete with an old Hong Kong martial arts film screening in the background (Bruce Lee’s Return of the Dragon, so more ‘70s in that aspect).

After resting a while – and after watching Bruce Lee take down Chuck Norris in the Colosseum – Brahm arrives and greets me. Tall and soft-spoken, Brahm sports white hair, a kind smile, and wise eyes. He greets me enthusiastically, and even though this is our first meeting it feels like I’m seeing an old friend. And, much like when said old friend has moved into a new home and wants to show you around, I’m invited on a tour of the rest of Nine Dragons.

Each room is themed around a different era of Chinese history, with the cocktail bar and sitting area highlighting the 1920s to the 1950s. Besides the cocktail bar serving up new, more respectful takes on Tiki-themed drinks with a nod to Hawaii and its connection to 1900s China, there’s also a craft beer bar focused on Chinese martial arts, with all the beers named for certain styles and practices of kung fu, plus a converted bedroom, and a film editing studio.

Beyond that, is a sitting room with a round table “kind of like in the old kung fu movies, in which the masters are sitting around a table, conversing,” Brahm says, which will play a role in an upcoming talk series he has planned in which martial arts masters will meet, sit around the table, and discuss topics that go beyond combat: how to focus, how to maintain balance, how to live morally.

There are historical artifacts everywhere, from maps detailing the fairly important folks who lived in the surrounding area in the 1900s, to chairs used by important persons, and even real Ming-era swords and weapons. Then there’s the small fun stuff, like weapons hidden in the sitting room table – itself covered in a yin-yang design – a ninja mannequin hiding in the rafters, and small screens showing martial arts clips or historical clips. Everywhere you look there’s something new to see or discover.

This all brings us to the nightclub. Hidden in a small rock garden in the courtyard’s exact center, there’s an entryway. Sliding inside and down some very steep steps, there’s a small hallway and the club. It’s bathed in red light, with posters from past shows on the wall, a spot for a DJ or artist to play, and a bar area. This is where part of the magic of Nine Dragons really shines.

“If a musician or an artist wants to do a show or gig to get experience before they go to the bigger Gulou venues,” Brahm explains, “I invite them here to get some experience under their belt.” This not only helps musicians but artists as well, as a show or talk can be added to a burgeoning portfolio as experience.

Throughout the week, Brahm hosts screenings of both old and new martial arts movies, with the week I visited being dedicated to the Ip Man series of films starring Donnie Yen. Weekends are where things really kick off, with music events in the club or above ground kicking off on Friday and going into Saturday.

“We usually start aboveground and the club opens up later in the evening,” Brahm explains. “But if people want, there are areas to relax, talk, have a drink whenever anything is going on.”

Brahm has more planned in the near future. He intends to do a “Searching for Kung Fu” film awards in the fall, as well as what he calls the “Underground Indie Music Awards” sometime later in the year. Brahm is also drafting a book titled Gate of the Nine Dragons: Searching for Kung Fu that will focus on his time in martial arts, searching for kung fu as it were, as well as the Nine Tenents of Kung Fu, which, when looked at in regards to Nine Dragons, have an interesting role to play in the community it’s fostered. 

The crowd that comes to Nine Dragons is an interesting one, a mishmash of young Chinese of different subcultures, from college kids to punks and more, and Brahm has found an interesting connection among all of them. “They’re all really, really interested in China,” he says excitedly, “and they come here to get closer to their country and culture via all our events.” Brahm tells me recently about a young punk-looking guest who asked him how he could focus more using martial arts techniques – it’s something beyond just being there for music and fun.

At Gate of the Nine Dragons, Brahm provides a space to connect with Chinese culture, be it through indie music, art salons, old kung fu movies, talks, and then some, all in the confines of a historical hutong courtyard house. It’s a place where one truly can get the “full qi experience.”

If you'd like to check out Gate of the Nine Dragons for yourself, head there tonight (Jul 14) for their Thinking About U Hip Hop Party, which starts at 9pm. Entry is free. Find out more via the link here.

Gate of the Nine Dragons 寻找功夫九龙门书院
9 Dongsi Liutiao, Dongcheng District
东城区东四六条9号
Phone: 010 8401 8886

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Images: Uni You, courtesy of Laurence J. Brahm