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2026-09-30 14:15:00

Documenting China After Dark

Photographer Sokol documents China’s changing nightlife, from packed dance floors to disappearing clubs.

  • For years, photographer Sokol (@sokolll.kirilll) has been moving between clubs across China, documenting the people, dance floors and communities that come alive after dark, from Shanghai and Chengdu to Urumqi and Lhasa.

    His ongoing project, A Night, captures a nightlife culture in transition. Iconic venues are closing, international lineups and brand-backed parties are reshaping the scene, and the tight-knit communities that once connected clubs across cities are evolving.

    Through sweaty dance floors, neon lights, cigarette smoke and early-morning sunrises, Sokol's photographs preserve a side of China that can disappear almost overnight.

    A look inside China's nightlife, told through 20 images.

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BY JULIA LI | SmSh Contributor
Born in Beijing, now based in Shanghai. Still judges every roast duck against the ones from home.
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