Chengde is quite laidback compared to nearby Beijing—a nice night out in Chengde might consist of a lengthy dinner with drinks at an outdoor restaurant in the summer. If you're looking for something livelier, you'll find a decent assortment of bars and pubs scattered about town. Local theatrical, dance and musical performances and festivals often celebrate aspects of the cultures long resident on the northern side of the Great Wall (when they weren't conquering and ruling all of China), the Mongolians and Manchurians.