Qingdao (青岛; Qīngdǎo; also known as Tsingtao), is regarded by some Chinese as one of the most beautiful and cleanest cities in China. With a population of around 7.2 million, it is one of the largest cities in Shandong Province. The name Qingdao means The Blue/Green Island.
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Qingdao City lies on the east shore of Jiaozhou Bay (胶州湾 Jiāozhōuwān) and comprises three districts from south to north: Shinan District (市南区 Shìnánqū) — the downtown core that runs along the sea with most of the city's major hotels, attractions and beaches. Shibei District (市北区 Shìběiqū) — sits directly north of Shinan District and contains many new major commercial and residential developments as well as the oldest parts of Qingdao in the west. Licang District (李沧区 Lǐcāngqū) — north of Shibei and home to Peach Blossom Tourism Spot and to more industry. Four suburban districts comprise primarily coastal areas close to the city proper: Laoshan District (崂山区 Láoshānqū) — southea…
Qingdao is a city steeped in China's 20th century history. It 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. A concession treaty was signed in 1898, for a 99-year lease. At the time, it was a relatively unimportant town of about 1,000 inhabitants. Yet by 1902, it had grown to 668 Caucasians and 15,000 Chinese. 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.
As of 2017, the meter rate for normal taxis starts at ¥10 while the larger cabs start at ¥12. The meter is based on both distance traveled and time taken. If you take a taxi to or from the airport, and use the Qingyin expressway there will be a ¥10 rate added to whatever the meter price is. During the summer months that are the peak tourist season, taxis may be hard to flag down.
1 Qingdao TV Tower (青岛电视塔), 10 Taipingshan Rd, ☏ +86 532 8365-4020. Nov-Mar 09:00-19:00, Apr-Oct 08:30-21:30. Visitors take the elevator to an outdoor observation deck that offers fantastic views of Qingdao. Tea, snacks, and beer are available inside, as are souvenirs and an exhibit on Qingdao's winning bid for the sailing competitions during the Beijing Olympics. ¥50. 2 Zhan Qiao (栈桥; Zhànqiáo), 12 Taiping Road, ☏ +86 -532-82884548. The famous pier Zhan Qiao is the iconic symbol of Qingdao. It was extended by the German. On the north side of Qingdao Bay, facing Little Qingdao across the water.
Qingdao has some wonderful 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.
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.
Being Qingdao, you can expect to find, well, copious amounts of fresh Tsingtao. 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. One of the neatest things about Qingdao is the ability to purchase fresh from the factory draft beer almost anywhere. You will often see kegs sitting outside most restaurants and snack stores.
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. Also, be wary about buying Xinjiang nut loaves from vendors along the boardwalk near the Zhan Bridge unless you don't mind paying ¥200 for 2 kg of the loaves when all you wanted was a small piece to try. If you must buy them, make sure you agree on the price for each liang (the unit of measurement) of the loaf before you get the vendor to slice it.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Jul, Qingdao typically sees ~31°C daytime highs and 10 rainy days.
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