They say the easiest time to meet and greet is when alcohol is involved. Booze relaxes people and can offer that sometimes essential Dutch courage to speak to anyone and everyone. If meeting people is what you want to be doing in Shanghai then look no further than the weekly Drunken Dragon Pub Crawl. Here you’ll meet other tourists, students, interns, expats and young professionals.

The festivities begin around 9.30 at O’Malleys on Taojiang Lu, where ‘registration’ takes place. Although it sounds very formal, it is in fact anything but, with an hour of open bar, a bit of food and some acoustic live music. An open bar is the perfect way to get into the swing of things and soon enough the conversation is flowing and tales are exchanged. After an hour at O’Malleys, crawlers are ushered onto the ‘party bus’ to begin the Dragon trail to the three other hot spots.

By this time, most people are in the mood and the guides keep spirits up by strolling up and down the aisle, free-pouring flavoured vodka into the gaping mouths of the expectant party-goers. Upon arrival at the second jaunt, drunken dragons are welcomed to complimentary shots and special drink deals.

Crawlers then hop aboard the party bus for more flavoured vodka before arriving at the third stop on the trail. Here, more complimentary shots are provided until the guides rush you back onto the bus to reach the final destination – one of Shanghai’s infamous clubs. For your money, you’ll get entrance into the venue, not have to queue and be handed a few drinks tokens to keep you quiet.

If nothing else, the Drunken Dragon Pub Crawl is a good way to get out there, meet new people and sample some of Shanghai’s up-and-coming bars. At RMB 150 per head, its very good value-for-money and for any newcomers to the city, it is a decent way to be shown around and taste that world-famous nightlife.

Web: www.pubcrawlshanghai.com