Qingdao 青岛 Travel Guide

years ago. Not only did that result in the creation of China’s best known (and probably best tasting!) beer of the same name but also to a wealth of colonial architecture that survives intact to this day. Qingdao doesn’t rest on its past though and much of the city is modern and not bad off for it. The city hosted the sailing events at the 2008 Olympics and has never looked better than it does now.

For the beaches and escaping the heat of summer or the beer festival in September or even better, a combination of the two.

The Eight Passes area is where Qingdao’s number 1 bathing beach is as well as being a nice area to stroll. The Qingdao Brewery was established in 1903 by the Germans brewing the namesake beer using the spring water from the nearby Lao Shan mountains. It is possible to visit the brewery if you book in advance. Qingdao Ying Binguan is the former residence of the German governor which cost so much to build in 1903 that when Kaisar Willhelm II heard he promptly sacked him! The Little Qingdao Peninsula is an excellent place to stroll and get views of the city.

Not on many itineraries but still worth a visit, particularly if you plan to head onto Korea or Japan as Qingdao has air and ferry connections to both.

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By Phil Stanley & Headseast – TCTC Destination Expert.