Welcome to Qingdao
Combining fresh sea air and dashing good looks, Qīngdǎo (青岛) – the name means 'Green Island' – is a rare modern city that has managed to preserve some of its past while angling a dazzling modern face to the future. Its blend of concession-era and modern architecture puts China’s standard white-tile and blue-glass developments to shame. The winding cobbled streets, colonial German architecture and red-capped hillside villas are captivating and there's so much to enjoy in the city’s diverse food scene, headlined by the ubiquitous home town beer Tsingtao. Meanwhile, the seaside aspect keeps the town cooler than the inland swelter zones during summer, and slightly warmer in winter.
Tsingtao Beer Museum
For a self-serving introduction to China’s iconic beer, head to the original and still-operating brewery. On view are old photos, preserved brewery equipment and statistics, and there are also a few fascinating glimpses of the modern factory line. The aroma of hops is everywhere. And you get to sample brews along the way (how much depends on which ticket you buy).
If you want to keep drinking, Tsingtao IPA and yuan jiang are both on tap in 1903 Cafe (8am to 6pm), the brewery's own little pub, located by the ticket office.
To get here, take bus 2 or 205 from Zhongshan Lu and get off at Tai Dong bus stop. Tai Dong will have its own metro station soon too.
St Michael’s Cathedral
Up a hill off Zhongshan Lu looms this grand Gothic- and Roman-style edifice. Completed in 1934, the church spires were supposed to be clock towers, but Chancellor Hitler cut funding of overseas projects and the plans were scrapped. The church was badly damaged during the Cultural Revolution and the crosses capping its twin spires were torn off. Devout locals buried the crosses for safe keeping. In 2005 workers uncovered them while repairing pipes in the hills, and they have since been restored.
Zhongshan Park
Within central Qingdao, Zhongshan Park is a vast 69 hectares of lakes, gardens and walking paths; it's an amusement park for kids and also the venue of lively festivals in the spring and summer. In the park’s northeast rises Taiping Hill with a cable car to the TV Tower at the top. Also within the park is Qingdao’s largest temple, Zhanshan Temple, an active Buddhist sanctuary.
When you get off the cable car at the temple, look for a round concrete dome on the right. This is the entrance to a bunker, which the Germans used as a wine cellar, and today houses a wine bar.