| | Overview (Source: Frommers) |
Shandong Province, 318km (197 miles) E of Ji'nan, 890km (551 miles) SE of Beijing Qingdao's strategic location at the mouth of a natural inlet on the south coast of the Shandong Peninsula has long made it attractive to foreign powers. When two German missionaries were killed in the Boxer Rebellion at the end of the 19th century, that was all the excuse Kaiser Wilhelm II needed to wrest Qingdao, then a small fishing town, from the weak Qing government, which ceded the port to the Germans on November 14, 1897, for 99 years. The Germans moved in, set up the Tsingtao Brewery, established churches and missions, built a railway to Ji'nan, and stationed 2,000 men in the garrison. But they were forced out at the beginning of World War I in 1914, and the Japanese took over, staying on after the 1919 Treaty of Versailles granted them authority over all ex-German territories in China. The Japanese ceded Qingdao back to the Guomindang (Nationalist Government) in 1922 but occupied the town again from 1938 to 1945 during World War II. Today, Qingdao, which has retained much of its Teutonic architecture, remains one of China's more charming and relaxing cities. With its year-round mild climate, Qingdao also hosts many fairs and festivals throughout the year, the most famous of which is the annual Qingdao International Beer Festival, held the last 2 weeks of August and attracting upwards of a million visitors. Summers see the town packed with Chinese visitors, making spring and fal
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| History (Source: WCities) | Top | From pottery shards and primitive carved stones unearthed in and around the Shandong province scientists have been able to determine that Qingdao’s timetable stretches back almost 6,000 years. The first manifestations of an organized village began during the East Zhou dynasty (770-256 BC). It was during this period that the nearby the Laoshan Mountains earned Qingdao and the surrounding peninsula notoriety in 600 BC when the scholar Lao-Tzu gave birth to the religion known as Taoism. This forever cloaked the mountains with an air of religious mystique, attracting scholars, writers and followers of Buddhism. Over the next 2,400 years, hundreds of temples and nunneries were built in these mountains, especially during the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. To this day these mountains, especially Mount Taishan, are considered as the some of the most sacred in China. (For visitors in search of these ancient temples be aware that many still stand, but because Tao emphasized simplicity, they are modest at best and lack the mind-stretching grandeur of many of China’s southern temples.) During the seventh century under the Tang dynasty (681-907) Qingdao took full advantage of its sea location by evolving into one of the Shandong peninsula’s most important cities for commerce. It would build on this reputation over the next 900 years, continually growing in size and diversity as a leading national and international trading center. Following China’s defeat to Engl
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| How To Get There (Source: WCities) | Top | By Air: The Qingdao International Airport offers service to destinations around the globe. Its terminals house the following airlines: Air China ( +86 10 6601 6667 / http://www.airchina.com.cn ) Air France ( +86 10 6588 1388 / http://www.airfrance.com/ ) All Nippon Airways ( +86 10 6590 9191 / http://www.ana.co.jp ) British Airways ( +86 10 6512 4070 / http://www.british-airways.com/ ) China Southern Airlines ( +1 86 10 6601 7596 / http://www.cs-air.com/en ) Dragon Airway ( +86 10 6518 2533 / http://www.dragonair.com ) Finnair ( +86 10 6512 7180 / http://www.finnair.com ) Japan Airlines ( +86 10 6513 0888 / http://www.jal.co.jp ) Korean Air ( +86 10 6505 0088 / http://www.koreanair.com/ ) Lufthansa ( +86 10 6465 4488 / http://www.lufthansa.com/ ) Northwest ( +86 10 6505 3505 / http://www.nwa.com ) Quantas Airways ( +86 10 6467 4794 / http://www.quantas.com.au ) Thai Airways ( +86 10 6460 8899 / http://www.thaiair.com/ ) United ( +86 10 6463 8551 / http://www.ual.com ) Traveling Around The City: By Bike: There are bicycles for rent in some hotels or bike rental stores around which is another way to enjoy the city and to get a great workout. Another option is to take a ride on the old-fashion pedicabs for a tour of Qingdao, which provides a unique tourist experience. By Bus: One of the most convenient ways to get around Qingdao are buses that drives
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| What To Do (Source: WCities) | Top | To merely describe Qingdao as possessing plenty of attractions would be a severe understatement. Its geographical blessing of beaches and mountains combine with an Old World colonial setting to create the type of environment that travel agencies like to describe as "tourist friendly." Rumor even has it that Qingdao’s unusually large offering of ooh-will-you-look-at-that type sights has caused numerous tourists to snap so many photos that they exit town suffering from carpal tunnel. First and foremost, if you possess a flexible travel schedule by all means do everything in your power to time it during one of Qingdao’s major festivals. The Spring Festival in particular enjoys "Will Not Disappoint" status. Also known as the Chinese New Year, it makes the New Year celebrations in New York and Paris seem like polite social gatherings. Dragon dancers loop through the streets and the night ignites with an endless bombardment of fireworks. The Lantern Festival in February also rates high as well. Or for true summer fun the International Beer Festival enjoys worldwide notoriety. First time visitors looking to learn what all of Qingdao’s hoopla is all about should beeline into the Badaguan Scenic Area . It more than anywhere else in town highlights the city’s German past. Narrow, tree-lined streets fronted with expansive lawns capped with German-style mansions create the aura of a Bavarian village minus, of course, men adorned in lederhosen. The Granite Mansion , a
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