Shot in the arm

The booming trend is also injecting new vitality into the hospitality industry. Many people have a negative impression of bars and pubs, but the academic lectures are changing the stereotype. More patrons, especially those who don't drink, are stepping into bars for the very first time.

"I think academic bars have found a new path for bars and pubs in China. Actually, bars have an innate cultural quality. These small public cultural spaces for talks and discussions are what we are missing now," said Gao, the stand-up comedian.

However, debate on the worth of academic bars has also accompanied the boom. Some critics have questioned the value of such lectures and the seeming contradiction of "serious" academic issues being discussed in a commercial bar.

Many wonder whether audiences can really learn something in one hour, or just regard it as a way of showing off as being part of an "elite".

Organizers, lecturers, audiences and bar staff were unperturbed by the controversy, and view it as a way to publicize the trend.

Sun, head of the Xiaohongshu project, said it is normal for a new trend to gradually find the right direction to head in.

Li, the doctoral candidate, sees the debate as a catalyst to make academic bars more widely known among the public.

Bai said that Bunker will stick to its original goal to create a public space for the community to help the spread of knowledge.

Liu, the frequenter of the lectures, said academic bars are part of new business forms that represent change, development and fresh opportunities in society.

Instead of being overly criticized or having too great expectations placed on them, they should be encouraged, even though they may be viewed as a marketing gimmick, she said.

wangxin2@chinadaily.com.cn