A Reddit thread titled "After 10 years, clubbing in Shanghai hasn't changed much" sparked a surprisingly thoughtful debate about the city's nightlife. The question isn't just whether the scene is a pale shadow of its Mansion-and-Shelter glory days, but why it feels different.

Some commenters point to the economic slowdown. Others argue this isn't a Shanghai issue at all — globally, younger generations are drinking less and clubbing less ... though INS on a Saturday suggests at least some of them didn't get the memo.

One user makes a sharper point: clubbing was never the dominant form of nightlife for most local Shanghainese to begin with. For a lot of people, late nights have always meant hotpot, KTV, or mahjong that runs past 2am, not dance floors and DJs.

We've pulled some of the more interesting takes. Click the slides to view more.