Top topics
Wikis
Quiz
Facts
Map
| Qingdao 青岛 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| — Sub-provincial city — | |||
| 青岛市 | |||
| Chinese transcription(s) | |||
| - Simplified | 青岛 | ||
| - Traditional | 青島 | ||
| - Pinyin | Qīngdǎo | ||
 |
|||
|
|||
 |
|||
| Coordinates: 36°5′N 120°20′E / 36.083°N 120.333°E | |||
| Country | China | ||
| Province | Shandong | ||
| City seat | Shinan District | ||
| Government | |||
| - CPC Secretary | Yan Qijun (阎启俊) | ||
| - Mayor | Xia Geng (夏耕) | ||
| Area | |||
| - Sub-provincial city | 10,654 km2 (4,113.5 sq mi) | ||
| - Land | 10,654 km2 (4,113.5 sq mi) | ||
| - Water | 13,800 km2 (5,328.2 sq mi) | ||
| - Urban | 1,102 km2 (425.5 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2007) | |||
| - Sub-provincial city | 7,579,900 | ||
| - Density | 711.5/km2 (1,842.7/sq mi) | ||
| - Urban | 2,755,500 | ||
| - Urban Density | 2,500.5/km2 (6,476.1/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | China Standard (UTC+8) | ||
| Postal code | 266000 | ||
| Area code(s) | 532 | ||
| GDP | RMB¥ 443.6 billion (2008) | ||
| GDP per capita | RMB¥ 52,895 (2008) | ||
| License Plate Prefix | 鲁B & 鲁U | ||
| Coastline | 862.64 km (inclusive of offshore islands) 730.64 km (exclusive of islands) |
||
| Major Nationalities | Han: 99.86% | ||
| County-level divisions | 12 | ||
| Website | www.qingdao.gov.cn | ||
Qingdao (help·info) (simplified Chinese: 青岛; traditional Chinese: 青島; pinyin: Qīngdǎo; Wade-Giles: Ch'ing-tao), also known in the West by its postal map spelling Tsingtao[1], is a major city in eastern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It borders Yantai to the northeast, Weifang to the west and Rizhao to the southeast. 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 青 (qīng) in Chinese means "green" or "lush", while the character 岛 (dǎo) means "island". Qingdao is administratively at the sub-provincial level. In 2008, Qingdao was named China's 7th-most livable city.[2]
Contents |
The sub-provincial city of Qingdao has direct jurisdiction over 7 districts (区 qu) and 5 county-level cities (市 shi) :
 |
Subdivision | Population | Land area | Post Code | Admin. Area Code* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| as of 2007 | km² | |||||
| Qingdao City Proper | ||||||
| ■ Shinan-qu | 市南区 / 市南區 | 430,000 | 30.01 | 266000 | 370202 | |
| ■ Shibei-qu | 市北区 / 市北區 | 470,000 | 28.63 | 266000 | 370203 | |
| ■ Sifang-qu | 四方区 / 四方區 | 360,000 | 34.55 | 266000 | 370205 | |
| ■ Licang-qu | 李沧区 / 李滄區 | 280,000 | 95.52 | 266000 | 370213 | |
| Qingdao Suburban and Rural | ||||||
| ■ Laoshan-qu | 崂山区 / 嶗山區 | 190,000 | 389.34 | 266100 | 370212 | |
| ■ Chengyang-qu | 城阳区 / 城陽區 | 430,000 | 553.2 | 266000 | 370214 | |
| ■ Huangdao-qu | 黄岛区 / 黃島區 | 260,000 | 274.1 | 266000 | 370211 | |
| ■ Jiaozhou-shi | 胶州市 / 膠州市 | 750,000 | 1210 | 266300 | 370281 | |
| ■ Jiaonan-shi | 胶南市 / 膠南市 | 840,000 | 1927 | 266400 | 370284 | |
| ■ Jimo-shi | 即墨市 / 即墨市 | 1,070,000 | 1727 | 266200 | 370282 | |
| ■ Pingdu-shi | 平度市 / 平度市 | 1,330,000 | 3166 | 266700 | 370283 | |
| ■ Laixi-shi | 莱西市 / 萊西市 | 720,000 | 1522 | 266600 | 370285 | |
*These codes are also being used by ID cards.
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 10,654 km². 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 50 km can be found in the region.
Qingdao's climate is monsoon-influenced and falls on the borderline between humid subtropical (Koppen Cwa) and humid continental (Koppen Dwa). Winter is cool to cold, sometimes snowy, and windy, with temperatures hovering around freezing. Summer is generally hot and humid, 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.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average high °C (°F) | 2.6 (37) |
3.8 (39) |
8.7 (48) |
14.4 (58) |
19.7 (67) |
23.3 (74) |
26.7 (80) |
28.3 (83) |
24.9 (77) |
19.7 (67) |
12.4 (54) |
5.3 (42) |
15.8 (60) |
| Average low °C (°F) | -3.7 (25) |
-2.5 (28) |
2.0 (36) |
7.5 (46) |
12.9 (55) |
17.6 (64) |
21.9 (71) |
23.0 (73) |
18.6 (65) |
13.2 (56) |
6.0 (43) |
-0.8 (31) |
9.6 (49) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 11 (0.43) |
12 (0.47) |
21 (0.83) |
36 (1.42) |
51 (2.01) |
83 (3.27) |
177 (6.97) |
156 (6.14) |
90 (3.54) |
47 (1.85) |
27 (1.06) |
10 (0.39) |
721 (28.39) |
| Source: World Meterological Organization[3] 2009-06-14 | |||||||||||||
Human settlement in the area dates back 6,000 years. The Dongyi nationality, one of the important origins of the Chinese nation, lived here and created the Dawenkou, Longshan and Dongyeshi cultures. In the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770BC~256BC), the town of Jimo was established, which was then the second largest one in the Shandong region. The area in which Qingdao is located today was named Jiao'ao (胶澳) when it was administered by the Qing Dynasty on 14 June 1891.
In 1891 the Qing government decided to make the area a defense base against naval attack and eventually began to improve Tsingtao’s existing fortifications. This Chinese activity was observed and reported by German naval officials during a formal survey of Kiautschou Bay in May 1897.[4] After the Kiautschou Bay region was ceded to Germany in 1898, the German authorities soon turned the impoverished fishing village of Tsingtao into a strategically important port administered by the Imperial Department of the Navy (Reichsmarineamt) rather than the Imperial Colonial Office (Reichskolonialamt). The navy based their Far East Squadron here, allowing the ships to conduct operations throughout the Pacific. From January 1898 the marines of III. Seebatallion were based at Tsingtao. The German imperial government planned and built the first streets and early infrastructure of the city (still visible today), introduced electrification throughout, a sewer system and a safe drinking water supply. Commercial interests established the world-famous Tsingtao Brewery. German influence extended to other areas of Shandong Province, including the establishment of diverse commercial enterprises.
Before the outbreak of World War I the ships of the German naval forces under Admiral Count von Spee were located at central Pacific colonies on routine missions. The fleet then rendezvoused in the Marianas to plan a transit to Germany rather than be trapped in the Pacific by Allied fleets.[5]
After a minor British naval attack on the German colony in 1914, Japan occupied the city and the surrounding province during the Siege of Tsingtao after Japan's declaration of war on Germany in accordance with the Anglo-Japanese Alliance. The failure of the Allied powers to restore Chinese rule to Shandong after the war triggered the May Fourth Movement.
(For details on the colonial period, see Jiaozhou Bay concession)
The city reverted to Chinese rule in December, 1922, under control of the Republic of China. The city became a direct-controlled municipality of the ROC Government in 1929. Japan re-occupied Qingdao in 1938 with its plans of territorial expansion onto China's coast.
After World War II the KMT allowed Qingdao to serve as the headquarters of the Western Pacific Fleet of the US Navy in 1945. On 2 June 1949 the CCP-led Red Army entered Qingdao and the city and province have been under PRC control since that time.
Since the 1984 inauguration of China's open-door policy to foreign trade and investment, Qingdao has developed quickly as a modern port city. It is now the headquarters of the Chinese navy's northern fleet. An early example of the open-door policy occurred on November 5, 1984, when three United States Naval vessels visited Qingdao. This was the first US port call in more than 37 years to China. USS Rentz (FFG-46), USS Reeves (DLG-24) and USS Oldendorf (DD-972) and their crews were officially hosted by the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).
Qingdao is now a manufacturing centre. The city has recently experienced a strong growth period, with a new central business district created to the east of the older business district. Outside of the center of the city there is a large industrial zone, which includes chemical processing, rubber and heavy manufacturing, in addition to a growing high-tech area.
By the end of 2006, Qingdao was estimated to be the home of about 8 million inhabitants, of which around 3 million reside in the Qingdao urban area. Another estimated 5 million live in other cities under Qingdao's jurisdiction. The annual birth rate is calculated around 76,507, with a birth rate of 10.15 per year per thousand, and a death rate of 6.32, both calculated on an annual basis. Living standards are among highest of leading Chinese cities due to the strong export economy and relatively high family wages.
Qingdao is home to 38 Chinese ethnic minorities，which account for 0.14% of the city's total population.
There is a large Korean community in Qingdao. By 2009, there are approximately 100,000 Koreans working, studying and living in Qingdao, which makes Qingdao the second in terms of Korean population in China, following Beijing which has about 200,000 Koreans. [6]
GDP per capita comprised RMB¥52,895 (US$7,616) in 2008. The GDP has grown steadily at an average pace of 16% annually. Internationally, Qingdao is perhaps best known for its Tsingtao Brewery, which German settlers founded in 1903, and which produces Tsingtao beer, now the most famous Chinese beer. It is also home to Haier, a large white goods manufacturer, and Hisense, a major electronics company. In 2002 guitar manufacturer Epiphone opened a factory at Qingdao.
In 1984 the Chinese government named a district of Qingdao a Special Economic and Technology Development Zone (SETDZ). Along with this district, the entire city had gone through amazing development of secondary and tertiary industries. As an important trading port in the province, Qingdao flourishes with foreign investment and international trade. South Korea and Japan in particular made extensive investment in the city. Approximately 80,000 South Korean citizens reside there. Construction proceeds at a relatively fast pace in Qingdao.
In terms of primary industry, Qingdao has an estimated 50,000 acres (200 km²) of arable land. Qingdao has a zigzagging pattern coastline, and thus possesses an invaluable stock of fish, shrimp, and other sea resources.
Qingdao is also home to a variety of mineral resources. Up to thirty different kinds have been mined. Qingdao's wind power electricity generation performs at among the best levels in the region.[citation needed] The city has also a number of paper mills. One plant is called Qingdao Bei Fa paper mill. Mill's machine is Karlstads Mekaniska Werkstad (KMW)-made (width 3048 mm) and it was acquired from Kajaani paper mill in Finland in the middle of the 1980s.
The lengths of highways on operation are 14,326 km, including 700 km Expressways. At the present, the traffic mileage is more than 6.02 billion km per year.[citation needed] There are a total of 1,145 km of roads in the Qingdao area, with nearly 500 km of expressways. Expressways connect Qingdao with Jinan.
The Orient Ferry connects Qingdao with Shimonoseki, Japan. There are two ferry lines connecting Qingdao with South Korea. The New Golden Bridge II operates between Qingdao and Incheon, and the Blue Sea Ferry operates between Qingdao and Gunsan.[citation needed]
Qingdao hosts one of China's largest seaports. Cooperative relations have been established with 450 ports in 130 countries worldwide. The 1999 annual cargo handling capacity was 72 million tons. Exported commodities amounted to more than 35 million tons and 1.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) of cargo.[citation needed]
The Qingdao Liuting International Airport, 65 kilometres away from city centre, is served by 13 domestic and international airlines, operating 94 routes, 12 of which are international and regional. It is estimated that in 2007 that 7.868 million people, including 1,082,000 international travelers, were transported through the airport.
Qingdao's railway development was picked up during the late 1990s. It is at the beginning of the Jiaoji Railway. Qingdao's city proper has some major railway stations, Qingdao Station, Sifang Station[7]， Cangkou Station, Great-Seaport Station, etc. At the present, domestic rail lines connect Qingdao with Beijing, Lanzhou, Chengdu, Xi'an, Zhengzhou, Jinan, Jining and so on.
Qingdao's public traffic owns about 4,500 large and medium-sized fangpi buses, CNG buses and trolleybuses, operating more than 200 routes.[citation needed] All of these buses and trolleybuses can be accessed using the Qingdao Public Traffic IC Card (Ri-Xin Card 日新卡), which uses radio frequencies so the card does not have to physically touch the scanner. The volume of road passenger transport approaches 0.8 billion per year.[citation needed] The Public Transport Brand of 'Ri-Xin Bus (日新巴士)' is also known in China.
There are a number of taxi companies in Qingdao including Yiqing Company, Zhongqing Company, Jiaoyun Company and, Huaqing Company.
Qingdao is ready to spend more than 29 billion yuan ($4.2 billion) before 2016 on its subway construction, the government announced on August 18, 2009 after getting the approval from the State Council. The construction of 54.7 km mileage of subway line will be completed before 2016 with a total investment of 29.2 billion yuan ($4.3 billion). The city plans to build eight subway lines in downtown and some suburban districts, which account for 231.5 kilometers in future.[8]
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.[citation needed] 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.
Other notable people include:
A distinctive local accent known as Qingdao dialect (青岛话, pinyin qingdao hua)" distinguishes the residents of the city from those of the surrounding Shandong province. Due to the efforts by the city government to promote standard Mandarin, most educated people can affect that accent. With reform policies and English teaching, most young citizens have been taught English and many can converse with foreigners. Business and traffic signs in English are becoming more and more common. Street signs cannot be in foreign languages because of the law, but they typically include pinyin pronunciations which can be memorized more easily by foreigners than Chinese characters.
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 (Xianggang Zhong Lu).
Qingdao's major attractions include:
Qingdao has long been a hub of professional sports in The People's Republic of China.
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.
Qingdao Hainiu Football Club (former name of Qingdao Shengwen Jonoon Football Club) was founded in 1993. They joined the first Chinese professional football as a second-class league club in 1994. They got the champion in their first season and were promoted to the top league (the first two could be promoted). In 1995, they finished as 11th (total 12 teams, last two would be relegated) and was relegated from the top league. In the next year, they got the runner-up in the second-class league and came back to the top league. Till now, they have been playing in the top league for 12 successive seasons.
IndyCar Series commercial division president Terry Angstadt has mentioned Qingdao as a possible venue for a second race in Asia after Twin Ring Motegi, Japan.[10] There are plans for a 400,000+ seat purpose-built course to be opened in 2011 or later. Angstadt has suggested that the series may race in a street circuit while the facilities are under construction.
Qingdao is one of the only cities in northern China where surfing is possible. The best surfing season is during the typhoon season (June-October). The south oriented beaches of Qingdao are the most appropriate to receive swells. Shinan and Laoshan districts are reported to have the best wave and wind orientation.
Qingdao is twinned with:
|
|
|
Qingdao is a friendly co-operative city of the following cities around the world.
|
|
|
 |
This article contains Chinese text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Chinese characters. |
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Qingdao [1] (青岛; Qīngdǎo; also known as Tsingtao), is regarded by some Chinese as one of the most beautiful and clean cities in China. With a population of around 3.5 million (8 million regional) it is the largest city in Shandong Province. The name Qingdao means The Blue/Green Island. In 2008, Qingdao was named China's 7th-most livable city.
Qingdao City lies on the east shore of Jiaozhou Bay (胶州湾; Jiāozhōuwān) and comprises four districts from south to north:
Three Suburban districts comprise primarily coastal areas close to the city proper
Five Rural areas administratively part of Qingdao:
Qingdao is a city steeped in China's 20th century history. Qingdao was taken as part of the Imperial German Concession of Jiaozhou Bay. Despite ongoing discussions with Chinese authorities about giving the Germans a territory, on 7 November 1897, they landed troops. Their pretext was the murder of two missionaries on 1 November of that year.
The concession treaty was signed on 6 March 1899, for a 99 year lease. The Germans acquired it as a relatively unimportant town of about 1,000 inhabitants. Yet by 1902, it had grown to 668 Caucasians and 15,000 Chinese. Today, the city has a population of 3 million.
During the colonial period, the Germans left a distinct mark on Qingdao's architecture that can still be seen in its historic center and train station. The train station has undergone a recent overhaul that has tried to strike a balance between maintaining its colonial heritage while modernizing to be the terminus of the high speed rail line to Beijing. 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.
Japan occupied Qingdao on 27 August 1914, as part of World War I, and remained until 1922. They took the city because they were allied with the British against the Germans during World War I. After the war, the Japanese wanted to continue to hold the city for the remainder of the German lease, and the Chinese government was going to accede. However, protests by students in Beijing during the May 4th Movement of 1919, eventually forced them to return the city to Chinese soverignity. In 1937, the Japanese again took Qingdao and remained until the end of World War II in 1945. Between 1945 and 1949 the American 7th Fleet was based in Qingdao as it assisted the Kuomintang in fighting the Communist Party; the Communists took the city in 1949.
While Qingdao has a long history, the eastern half of the city has been built since 1993, and there is no sign of it slowing down. In 2008, it hosted the sailing events of the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Qingdao's early summer is quite an enjoyable season, although it can be humid near the sea shore. Late summer can become hot, while other places of Northern China start to feel cooler. The climate in late fall and winter can be harsh but snow patches can generally last no longer than a few days. Qingdao is an ideal destination if you want to combine sea-side fun with your trip to China.
From Incheon, Korea there are ferries thrice-weekly by Weidong Ferries [2].
There are also twice-weekly connections from Shimonoseki, Japan on Orient Ferries [3]. The trip takes over 24 hours and 2nd class one-way costs ¥12,000. The voyage is one night from Shimonoseki to Qingdao, but two nights from Qingdao to Shimonoseki. The ferry also serves as a cargo vessel and after boarding in Qingdao, it will often take several hours to finish being loaded with cargo before it departs.
The restaurant food and drinks, snacks and souvenirs from the shop are all priced in Japanese Yen, so make sure to get some/have some left over before boarding. The cost of most food and drink is reasonable considering you're stuck on the boat with nowhere else to buy things, but the pennywise traveler will definitely bring their own alcohol, cigarettes, and snacks. (mind that there might be duties when crossing into Japan or China).
There are electrical outlets in the lounge area, but if those are taken, there are also some up in the gym/fitness area, where no one goes. Be advised that on boarding from China, the ship operates under Japanese time, so change your watches and pay attention to announcements for when dinner will be served, as food is only served at certain times of the day. There are Japanese-style shower/bath rooms on the upper level where the first class rooms are located.
The Qingdao Liuting International Airport is the main hub for Shandong Airlines and a focus city of China Eastern Airlines. The flights between Qingdao and Shanghai, and Qingdao and Beijing are very frequent. If you arrive in Beijing or Shanghai in the morning or in the afternoon, you even do not have to book the flight ticket to Qingdao ahead. It will save you some money if you buy the ticket simply at the airport once you arrive in Beijing or Shanghai.
International destinations include Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Seoul (Incheon) and Busan. Qingdao also has flights to Hong Kong and Taipei.
The airport is 32 kilometers from the city proper, about half an hour taxi ride. Prices for a taxi ride from the airport to the Hong Kong Middle Road area should be between ¥120-140 depending on the route taken (The National Highway 308 is slower but cheaper, the toll expressway is faster and more expensive) and time of day (more expensive at night).
Qingdao Railway Station (tel. 0532-6011111, reservations 0532-2962777) is at 2 Tai'an Road (泰安路2号) at the west end of Shinan District.
Trains from major cities not too far away include:
Trains from major cities further away include:
If you are travelling from within Shandong Province, going by bus is probably the easiest way. Especially now with the new excellent and fast expressways linking Qingdao with other cities in the province. There are several buses per day from Jinan, Taian, Qufu, as well as Yantai and Rizhao on the coast. They leave from and arrive to the bus station just outside the train station, but also from the new bus station north of town, which can be reached by local trolleybus number 5 in 20 minutes.
Recently, Qingdao officials have been sweeping local bars. To avoid troubles, you should keep your passport and visa with you at all times. It is advisable to keep copies of your passport information page and visa safe place at your hotel or hostel.
Take one of the plentiful taxis. Usually the base price is ¥7, and the price per kilometer is ¥1.20. You can get across for about ¥35. Be advised that there is indeed a fuel tax specific to Qingdao that is ¥1 regardless of distance traveled. Also be aware that you will be required to pay any toll fees incurred during the trip. So simply add ¥1 plus any toll fees you may have incurred (most likely not unless you traveled on the Qingyin Expressway) to the meter's reading.
The bus and trolleybus network is quite well put together and useful once you figure out the routes. Buses 11, 26, 228, and 501 run from the railway station (Shinan Distict) along the coast via Donghai Xi Lu to all the beaches in the modern eastern part of town (Middle Hong Kong Road), where pubs and cafes are located. Many major routes have dedicated bus lanes, that can make taking the bus faster than taking a car during rush hour. Buses 316 and 231 will bring you to the center of the town from the newly renovated station. Regular buses cost ¥1 and the air conditioned ones are ¥2. If you get on a bus that goes really far (out to the suburbs) you need to tell the ticket person on the bus where you are going and it will cost up to ¥6.
Very few locals in Qingdao cycle because it is illegal on streets and sidewalks. When renting a bike make sure that it is legal to ride your planned route. There are more than 40km of waterfront trails. If you really want a work out, try hiking Fushan or the TV Tower hills as there are some decent mountain bike trails.
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 (sometimes upwards of 100,000 people), and slightly less crowded on summer weekdays. 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.
Qingdao International Beer Festival, held at the end of August every year, is a celebration of Qingdao's brewing heritage. During the daytime, there are official ceremonies that celebrate Qingdao's heritage as well as carnival type rides, food and games. In the evening, the event really picks up as crowds flock to huge tents set up by each beer company with a presence in China. One can sit down and order beer or snacks. The price of food at night during the festival, however, is ridiculous. You cannot find Kebabs for anything less than CNY 10 per stick! One can also watch (or participate in) various performances such as karaoke, concerts, auctions, or comedy. The entertainment itself is tame and bland; 2009s best gig, by far, was a Phillipine cover band imitating Western songs. The International Beer Festival, unfortunately, no longer seems to have much of an international presence save the beer. Much of what you see now can be found at any Chinese carnival, park or civic celebration.
Head to Yunxiao Road west of Fuzhou South Road for a large selection of restaurants of all Chinese varieties ranging from the local Shandong style, to Cantonese and Sichuan. Yunxiao Road is recognized as Qingdao's restaurant street, and serves up a wide variety of mouth watering dishes. Minjiang Road, near Fushou South Road (bordering on Qingdao's restaurant district), has several outstanding restaurants. The area is booming with foods from around the world.
Small cheap restaurants are found around the city, especially away from the main streets. Basic meals for less than ¥10.
Noodle restaurants tend to be cheap, some options are:
Also, dumpling restauraunts tend to be cheap, some options are:
If you want something a bit more comfortable than the most basic restaurants, you can try one of the restaurants below where you can expect to pay around ¥20-40 each person:
Tsingtao is China's best-known brand of beer. The brewery was founded by Germans during colonial times. Every August there is a beer festival (check the listing in the "Do" section). Many European breweries participate.
Despite being a city of 3 million, nightlife is quieter here than in most cities of similar size. KTV (karaoke) is very popular activity amongst the locals. There are a few western style club/discos in the Hong Kong Road area close to the Jusco.
Generally, Qingdao is a very safe city although the general travel advisories such as keeping your bag close, not flashing large amounts of money and using common sense are always advised. Violent crime or serious thievery is not a common problem.
Located a 30 min. bus ride east of downtown, Laoshan (Mount Lao) boasts a 2100-year-old Dao temple and is a must see for the Qingdao area. Often credited with being one of the temples that gave birth to the Dao way of thought, the Laoshan temple is tucked just between the mountains and beach. You can wander the temples or take one of the many paths winding up and around the mountains to enjoy the view, see waterfalls or listen to the tales of the ancient snake and other phenomena that haunt the Laoshan area. The mountain offers both regular hiking from the main entrance, as well as a stone-paved trail to Chao Yin waterfall and tea house from the north entrance
Bus 304 can be used when travel to Laoshan from Qingdao. The bus can be boarded at the train station close to the west side of beach no. 6.
Bus 304 will not take you all the way to Laoshan's main entrance. The bus trip from the train station to the terminal bus stop will cost about 10 Y. A taxi from the terminal bus stop to Laoshan costs about 20 Y. Unfortunately it's not easy to find an available taxi at the terminal bus stop. A good piece of advice is to start walking towards Laoshan and grab an empty taxi on the way. The actual distance from the end stop to Laoshan is too far to walk. The entrance fee for Laoshan is 70 Y. It's also a good idea to book a taxi before hand for the return journey.
Weifang is a city in Shandong province that is the home of China's International Kite Festival. Visitors can visit the Kite Museum where artists produce not only kites, but also New Year's Paintings, carvings, and other forms of art. The Museum also houses a Ming dynasty era home of a young family of historical interest. Vistors may also visit the historical home of a local landlord from the Ming Dynasty on Weifang's oldest street. The city is approximately 2 hours by car from Qingdao on the way to the coast Yantai.
| This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow! |
Category: Usable articles
Contents |
|
Singular |
Plural |
Qingdao
|
   | Qingdao MTI International School - Qingdao MTI International School - Homepage |
| | That's Qingdao - Qingdao Travel Guide - Qingdao China Guide - Business, Entertainment, Attractions, & Living |
| | Beijing drops out of top 10 'best city' list - Beijing drops out of top 10 'best city' list |
|
|
Search
- 
