Qingdao

Qingdao, a beautiful seaside city, is located in the southeast part of Shandong Province. To the east, a short distance across the Yellow Sea, lies Korea and Japan, making Qingdao an important city for international trade.

For thirty three years, up to 1949, Qingdao was a colony of Germany and Japan. Thus, Qingdao has a great deal of European architecture. This foreign architecture -a remnant of the colonial past- now beautifies this seaside city.

The red roofs, green trees, blue sea, and azure sky form a bright and colorful picture of Qingdao. The city is sometimes known as the Switzerland of the Orient.

Surrounded by the sea on three sides, Qingdao attracts many tourists with its charming seascape. Sights like the Eight Passes Villas, the Zhan Bridge, Wusi Square, Mt. Laoshan, will help you remember Qingdao. Just walking on the sand and listening to the surf breaking on the beach becomes enjoyable.

Qingdao offers food with distinctive flavors--especially seafood. So take this chance to enjoy the delicious seafood of Qingdao. Also, Qingdao is the home of the famous Qingdao (Tsingtao) Beer. Have a bottle of pure Qingdao Beer right here in Qingdao!

The Qingdao Municipal Government recognizes the importance of the tourism industry and has further plans to develop tourism in Qingdao. To enhance the tourism industry, Qingdao now sponsors the Qingdao International Beer Festival, the Qingdao International Sea Festival, Beach Culture Festival, the Sea Affection Festival, and the Summer of Qingdao Festival.

In cooperation with the Beijing Olympic Games 2008, Qingdao will hold the Sailing Competition in the Olympic Games in 2008. This great event brings a great opportunity for this charming city to build its bright future.

Laoshan Mountain

Laoshan, at the coast of the Yellow Sea, is located some 30 km easterly of  Tsingdao and is a widely known Taoist mountain. Its main peak, the Jufeng, reaches 1.133 m above sea level. The landscape of Laoshans is dominated by bizarre cliffs, dense forests and clear springs. In former times was Laoshan a sanctuary of the Quanzhen sect, a specific school of Taoism. In its height were here nine palaces, eight temples and 90 convents for nuns, the whole annex inhabited by thousands of Taoists, men and women. Many of the sacral buildings are still wonderfully conserved, today. The most famous is the Taiqing Palace. This building was constructed in the early period of the Northern Song Dynasty, owns also a historic dimension of more than a 1000 years. According to historical tradition went the Qin Emperor Ying Zheng to the Laoshan Mountain, in search of the “Life after Death Pills”. The Han Emperor Wu Di sent his people to Laoshan to manufacture pills for longevity. Many scholars and famous personalities left their traces here. For example: Pu Songling (1640 – 1715), a well known classical writer in the Wing Dynasty, spent his eventide in the so called Sangong Hall. His collection of novels (“Strange Tales of Liaozhai”), are well known all over the country, still today. Many of those stories are set in and around Laoshan. Today, one can see in front of the main hall a 700 year old Camellia tree. In the past grew here also a Peony flower. In one novel of this collection, both flower plants are transformed into a beautiful girl, which falls in love with a young scholar. .

Little Fish Hill

In the past, this hill simply existed without a particular name. The locals tell the story, that the name Little Fish Hill evolved, by the time a road was built around this hill. This was in the year 1922. Why the notion of a fish was taken up in the context of a road construction remains unclear up today. It might remain a mystery forever. Many people climb up the Little Fish hill to enjoy the spectacular ocean view. From the pavilions on top of the hill ist he panorama over the bay of Tsingdao and downtown especially impressive. In the north reflect some red roofs out of the ocean of green trees, in the west and east lies the wonderful deep blue sea and the bay and amidst downtown of Tsingdao one can see the glowing top of the Catholic church. Often flocks of doves taking off into the blue sky. The “Little Fish Hill” park, where those wonderful impressions can be experienced, is open daily from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. From downtown Tsingdao feed the bus lines 6, 15, 26 and 304 out into this park. 

Catholic Church

The red spires and the cross of the church can be seen from a rather great distance. The narrow road up to the church is plastered with stone slabs. The construction of this neo-gothic Catholic cathedral started in the year 1932. Two years later the building was finished. Two 56 meters tall bell towers, protrude into the sky. In the towers hang 4 large bells. The ringing of the bells can be heard very well, even miles away. On top of one spire stands a cross, 4 meters tall. The walls of the church are decorated with plane relieves. Sunbeams shine and   through the coloured and arched windows into the giant nave.

The Little Green Island

Xiaoqingdao – is an important part of the coastal landscape of the city of Tsingtao and is a must see for every visitor, since from here is the best panoramic view over the red roofs the lush vegetation in the old town, the blue sea and the clear skies. In a nut shell: The Little Green Island offers the very best views to the most spectacular sections of the old town of Tsingtao. Everybody will be overwhelmed, Tsingdao is simply beautiful.

The Tsingtao Beer

Tsingtao Beer is world famous. The locals, old and young, drink the beer like water. Recently, the local brewery introduced an new kind of draft beer in the market, but since it will be perishable for only one month, it will be hard to get it somewhere outside of Tsingdao. The new beer has a mild taste, with a touch of wheat. A visit of the beer museum is very much recommended.