In Beijing, like much of the rest of the world, Halloween is celebrated on October 31st. Like many foreign holidays, it's a good opportunity for foreigners to have fun and for the Chinese to join in.

"The Chinese don't really know about foreign holidays. They learn them step by step." Threadlike, with black framed glasses, and with a long fringe covering his eyes, Jack Zhao also took advantage of the increasing Chinese craze to celebrate Halloween, and to throw a dress up party on October 31^st at his club "The Bank". As a result of this Celtic holiday, his club, located in the middle of Workers' Stadium in northeast Beijing, has been turned into a veritable den of ghosts and spirits, thrilling both Chinese and foreigners alike.

 Sat on a red velvet sofa, Jack Zhao is watching the hundreds of Halloween partygoers who have gathered in the two storey club, and around the large white marble bars. "Generally, it is the young and trendy Chinese who celebrate Halloween, and they often hang around with foreigners," he reports.  Mr Zhao also owns the restaurant, "Jasmine", next door. Annie Wei, a 28 year-old journalist from southern China agrees with him. "If we don't have foreign friends, there's no point to celebrating this festival," she explains, whilst wearing a glittery black dress, and red horns on her head.

Having only opened in July, The Bank really wants to be fashionable and trendy. Crystal chandeliers, dark blue hangings and matching veils, soft rugs, red and grey bricks, plastic spiders and bats hung here and there, empty mirror frames, themed lighting; the place really is dressed up for the occasion. Waitresses wear blinking little horns on their heads, the waiters, tousled wigs and large wizard hats.