Shenzhen Bargoers will have a new venue to quench their thirst after a new bar street opens at the central business district (CBD) in the new city center in Futian District this August, Chinese-language papers reported yesterday (Feb 28).

The 136-meter-long street, located inside the newly built Coco Park, will occupy an area of 30,000 square meters with two levels housing about a dozen individual bars. The largest bar will cover an area of 433 square meters. Most bars will have outdoor seating.

Cultural salons, cafes, teahouses and Western restaurants will also be found on the street.

The 700-million-yuan (US$86 million) project will be the only bar street in the new city center and is expected to become a new symbol of the city. The bar street will cater to the employees of nearby offices.

Statistics indicate more than 40 percent of local residents frequent bars, but Shenzhen lacks an area set aside specially for bars like Beijing and Shanghai have, reports said.

The CBD has become home to more than 40 of the world's top 500 enterprises since last year.

An estimate says the number of employees in the area will expand to 260,000 over the next few years.

Editor: Wing