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Qingdao best known in the West by its Postal map spelling Tsingtao, is a sub-provincial city in eastern Shandong province, People’s Republic of China. It borders Yantai to the northeast, Weifang to the west and Rizhao to the southwest. Lying across the Shandong Peninsula while looking out to the Yellow Sea, Qingdao today is a major seaport, naval base, and industrial center. It is also the site of the Tsingtao Brewery. The character (qing) in Chinese means “green” or “lush,” while the character (dao) means “island.” It was recently named China’s 9th-most livable city by China Daily.
Qingdao is a city steeped in China’s 20th century history. Qingdao was taken as part of the an Imperial German concession of Jiaozhou Bay. Despite ongoing discussions with Chinese authorities about giving the Germans territory, on the 7th of November 1897, they landed troops. Their pretext was the murder of two missionaries on the 1st of November of that year.
The concession treaty was signed on March 6, 1889, for a 99 year lease. However, Japan occupied it on August 27, 1914, as part of the First World War. The Germans acquired it as a relatively unimportant town of about 1000 inhabitants. Yet by 1902, it had grown to 668 Caucasians and 15000 Chinese. As of the most recent data available, the city has a population of 2.6 million.
During the colonial period, the Germans left a distinct mark on Qingdao’s architecture that can still be seen today in its historic center and train station: although the latter has been mostly torn down for redevelopment, part of the original station has been preserved to be incorporated in the new design. Many German-period buildings have been preserved as heritage monuments. It is a kind of ‘Bavaria-on-the-East-China-Sea’, where they even sell Bratwurst on the street. In 1903, the world-famous Tsingtao brewery was established by homesick Germans. The Japanese were ousted during the 1918 May 4th Movement but retook the city in 1938.
In 2008 Qingdao will play host to the sailing events of the 2008 Summer Olympics. Qingdao’s climate ranges from very hot and humid in the summer to snowstorms in winter. Qingdao is the ideal destination if you want to combine sea-side fun with your trip to China.
Qingdao is located on the south facing coast of the Shandong Peninsula. It borders three prefecture-level cities, namely Yantai to the northeast, Weifang to the west, and Rizhao to the southwest. The city’s total jurisdiction area occupies 10,654km². The populated sections of the city are relatively flat while mountains spur up within city limits and nearby. The highest elevation in the city is 1133 m above sea level. 15.5% of the total area is highland, while the foothill, plain and lowland areas constitute 25.1%, 37.8% and 21.7%. The city has a 730.64-kilometre coastline. Five significant rivers that flow for more than 50km can be found in the region.
Qingdao has a warm temperate zone monsoon climate, with the characteristics of a marine climate, such as moist air, abundant rainfall, and four distinct seasons. Winter is cold, snowy, and windy, with temperatures hovering around freezing. Summer is warm to hot, but very hot days are rare. Due to its proximity to the coast and being on a peninsula, it experiences a one-month delayed spring compared to most of central China. Conversely, autumn is much milder than inland areas. The water temperature peaks at about 25C (77F) in late August, with swimming possible two months on either side.
The famous Pier near the train station and Catholic church, makes it look a bit like a Chinese version of Brighton, England. Tsingtao Brewery The brewery has some interesting exhibits and the bottling plant is fascinating. Of course the ample free samples of beer are likely to persuade you this place is worth a visit.
German Governor’s Residence A Bavarian-style castle where Mao stayed as well. Also the observatories on the hills around it are interesting for good views and museums. If you want to find it, ask for the Qingdao Guest House. Zhan Shan Temple Situated at the foot of ZhanShan Hill and to the east of TaiPing Hill, this temple was built in 1945. It has five halls and a pagoda, with an area of 20,000 square meters. The temple boasts a large collection of skillfully carved statues of Buddha and Buddhist scriptures. There are tens of thousands of people at ZhanShan Temple from the 8th to the 10th of April on the lunar calender every year.
The unique combination of German and Chinese architecture in the city centre, combined with German demographic roots and a large Korean expat population, gives Qingdao a distinct atmosphere. A larger number of areas in former foreign styles are well preserved. Although the new city area is under large-scale reconstruction, the old city area (especially Taixi) still retains some traditional buildings.
Seafood is a typical delicacy of the coastal city, divided into two categories: “Great Seafood” including sea cucumbers, abalones, shark’s fin, prawns, crabs, conch, and some big fish, and “Little Seafood” comprising squid, shrimps, octopus, oysters, razor clams, clams, periwinkles, yellow croakers, etc. Generally, fresh seafood is served in every hotel. The distinctive cuisine of the area is Lu Cai, the Shandong regional style.
Qingdao attracts many tourists due to its seaside setting and temperate weather. Parks, beaches, sculpture and unique German and modern architecture line the shore. For more information head over to the Qingdao Information Centre for International Visitors located on Mid-Hong Kong Road(Xinggang Zhong Lu).
Qingdao has some famous (within China) beaches worthy of visiting. Unfortunately, litter is a problem at all of them, ranging from the occasional cigarette butt to having to wade through a flotsam of trash just to get into the ocean itself. Your experience will vary depending on the tides and the time of year you visit.
During summer weekends, Qingdao city beaches are VERY crowded, and slightly less crowded on summer weekdays. Several beaches, including the #1, #6 and Old Stone Man beaches have very basic shower and changing facilities available for ¥5. Again, these can be packed full of people during the weekends. Bring sunscreen, while you can buy beach toys, food, drinks, and knick-knacks at any of Qingdao’s beaches, surprisingly no one sells sunscreen at the beach itself.
You can find bathing beaches all along the seaside from the Zhanqiao Pier to the Shilaoren Beach in the eastern suburbs. The best one is Laoshan Beach, just at the entrance to Laoshan National Park, about a 30 minute drive east of the city limits.
Number 6 (or Muscle Beach) is not very clean. Number 1 beach is clean and full of amusement for children but often crowded. Accessing quiet beach number 2 necessitates a small fee (¥2). Number 3 (or City Beach) has a “plastic island” so you can swim far away and have a rest before coming back (but it is sometimes exhausting to swim in the waves). The best beach within easy striking distance of the city is Shilaoren (Old Stone Man). It’s cleanish, very long and broad, with the highest waves. Get there by bus 125 or 321.
Tsingtao is China’s best-known brand of beer. The brewery was founded by Germans during colonial times and still today brews according to the German purity law. Every August there is a beer festival (check the listing in the “Do” section). Many European breweries participate. Along with Beijing’s hosting of the 2008 Summer Olympics, Qingdao was the host city for the Olympic Sailing competitions which took place along the shoreline by the city. These events were hosted at the Qingdao International Sailing Centre and held in Fushan Bay, near the city’s central business district. A hotel and an international broadcasting centre were built.
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