Several historic buildings across Beijing are being used as upscale clubs for senior officials, business tycoons and celebrities, Economic Information Daily reported yesterday.

The clubs offer expensive food and services to members and privacy is paramount, according to a sales manager of Yi Shi Liu, which runs several such clubs in the capital, including Ji Fang You, a former imperial palace, in Ditan Park.

The sales manager told the newspaper the Ditan Park club only accepts up to 26 groups of customers daily, adding that they never disclose the personal information of clients.

An employee surnamed Cao at Ditan Park’s administrative office told the newspaper that previous reports had already exposed the club.

“What happened then? Nothing!” Cao was quoted as saying. “It’s of no news value. Reporting it would only end up in vain.”

Yi Shi Liu also has clubs in Beihai Park, which has historical sites inside, and Honglingjin Park, a national scenic spot.

Its club in Beihai Park is inside a former imperial home. A reporter went inside and found many antiques.

A Yi Shi Liu employee was cited as saying that it’s perfectly normal for members to spend 50,000 yuan (US$8,197) to 60,000 yuan for lunch or dinner.

A service manager of Yi Shi Liu’s Beihai Park branch said its customers can park their cars in front of the park, so no one knows their true purpose. The club even offers to cover up the license plates of its customers.

The club also has secret entrances to the VIP rooms to prevent customers from bumping into acquaintances, the report said.

Yi Shi Liu mainly uses a membership system and a person can only join if he or she is introduced by other members. The club’s membership dues range from 50,000 yuan to 500,000 yuan annually, the report said.

A 300,000 yuan membership card is a very popular gift, a sales manager said.

“Our business was affected in the past few months,” the sales manager was quoted as saying as the central government issued eight measures to reduce official extravagance and waste last December.

“Now things are getting better. Our customers are coming back, including officials of big government agencies, executives of state-owned enterprises, and officials coming to Beijing from other provinces,” the manager told the newspaper.

A cultural relic expert told Economic Information Daily such clubs would damage historic buildings and their surroundings.