Qingdao

No reviews yetCity Shandong, China

Write a review Things to do Add photos

Qingdao, Shandong, China

Qingdao, Shandong, China

City Hall of Qingdao, Qingdao, Shandong, China

Qingdao, Shandong, China

Qingdao Zhanqiao, Qingdao, Shandong, China

About Qingdao

Red-tiled roofs, twin church spires and a sea breeze with a hint of hops: Qingdao is the Chinese city where Germany left its deepest mark. Leased to Germany in 1898, the port on the Shandong Peninsula gained a brewery, a Protestant church and a grand governor's residence before Japan seized it in 1914.

The 1919 decision to hand the territory to Japan instead of returning it to China sparked the May Fourth Movement, remembered today in a vast seafront square. Qingdao has since grown into a metropolis of around ten million people and hosted the sailing events of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, yet its old quarter and coastal promenades remain easy to explore on foot.

Most visits pair the seafront, from Zhanqiao Pier to the villa lanes of Badaguan, with the Tsingtao Beer Museum and a day on Mount Lao, a Taoist mountain rising straight from the sea. Come in summer for the International Beer Festival, or in September for warm water and thinner crowds.

Best seasonMay to October; summer brings the beer festival, while September and early October offer warm seas and fewer crowds.

Ideal stayThree to four days: two for the old town and seafront, one for Mount Lao.

ArrivingQingdao Jiaodong International Airport handles domestic and international flights; high-speed trains reach the city from Beijing in about three to five hours.

Why People Love Qingdao: 12 Things to Discover

Landmarks 3

Zhanqiao Pier, Qingdao, Shandong, China

Zhanqiao Pier

First built in 1892 and later lengthened, this 440-meter pier reaches into Qingdao Bay and ends at the octagonal Huilan Pavilion,...

May Fourth Square, Qingdao, Shandong, China

May Fourth Square

Laid out on the waterfront in front of the city government, this vast plaza commemorates the 1919 movement that erupted when Qingd...

Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center, Qingdao, Shandong, China

Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center

Built at Fushan Bay for the sailing events of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the marina is now a lively waterfront where yachts line t...

Food and Drink 1

Tsingtao Beer Museum, Qingdao, Shandong, China

Tsingtao Beer Museum

Set in the original brick buildings of the brewery founded by German and British settlers in 1903, the museum traces more than a c...

Churches 2

St. Michael's Cathedral Qingdao, Qingdao, Shandong, China

St. Michael's Cathedral Qingdao

Designed by Father Alfred Fraebel and completed in 1934, this neo-Romanesque cathedral rises 56 meters on a hill above Zhejiang Ro...

Qingdao Christ Church, Qingdao, Shandong, China

Qingdao Christ Church

Designed by Curt Rothkegel and finished in 1910 for the German Protestant community, this church stands out for its green-capped c...

History 1

Former German Governor's Residence, Qingdao, Shandong, China

Former German Governor's Residence

Built between 1905 and 1907 on the slope of Signal Hill, this grand villa housed the governors of the German leasehold and later h...

Neighborhoods 1

Badaguan Scenic Area, Qingdao, Shandong, China

Badaguan Scenic Area

This seaside district of quiet lanes, whose streets take their names from famous mountain passes of ancient China, holds villas in...

Nature 1

Mount Lao, Qingdao, Shandong, China

Mount Lao

East of the city center, this granite massif climbs to about 1,133 meters almost straight out of the Yellow Sea and has been sacre...

Viewpoints 2

Little Qingdao Island

Joined to the shore by a causeway, this small wooded islet at the mouth of Qingdao Bay is crowned by a white lighthouse built duri...

Signal Hill Park, Qingdao, Shandong, China

Signal Hill Park

Topped by three red, mushroom-shaped towers, this small hilltop park in the old town gives one of the best panoramas of Qingdao's...

Events 1

Qingdao International Beer Festival, Qingdao, Shandong, China

Qingdao International Beer Festival

Held every summer since 1991, this is one of Asia's biggest beer festivals, with huge tents pouring Tsingtao and international bra...

Reviews

No reviews yet. Been to Qingdao? Be the first to share your experience.

Write a review

Share what you loved, what to skip and tips for other travelers.

Log in to write a review

Share your photos

Been to Qingdao? Add your best shots to the gallery.

Log in to add photos

More places in Shandong

Tai’an, Shandong, China

Tai’an

Shandong, China

Yantai, Shandong, China

Yantai

Shandong, China

Weifang, Shandong, China

Weifang

Shandong, China

Jinan, Shandong, China

Jinan

Shandong, China

Linyi, Shandong, China

Linyi

Shandong, China

Zaozhuang, Shandong, China

Zaozhuang

Shandong, China

Zibo, Shandong, China

Zibo

Shandong, China

Chengdu, Sichuan, China

Chengdu

Sichuan, China

See all places in China →

Photo credits

Photo: Dan Nevill, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Photo: Windmemories, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Vitsuha, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: K.Y.K.Z.K., Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Vitsuha, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Vitsuha, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: kanegen, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Photo: xiquinhosilva, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Photo: xiquinhosilva, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Photo: Gisling, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Lennartbj, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Bbulussi, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Narjuko, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Windmemories, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Windmemories, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: K.Y.K.Z.K., Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Bridget Coila, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: Gisling, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: See-ming Lee from Hong Kong SAR, China, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Photo: Windmemories, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Windmemories, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Windmemories, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Windmemories, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Noraft, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Photo: Windmemories, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Windmemories, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Windmemories, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Windmemories, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Windmemories, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: StefanTsingtauer, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Adolf Haupt, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Photo: Windmemories, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Photo: Windmemories, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Windmemories, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: M. Weitzel, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5

Photo: Windmemories, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Guadalupe Cervilla from Barcelona, España, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: Rolfmueller, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Rolfmueller, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Chang Liu, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Kiddokidoki, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Photo: Nyx Ning, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Nyx Ning, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: 冰孙, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: See-ming Lee from Hong Kong SAR, China, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Photo: B.wilson, Wikimedia Commons, CC0