Qingdao, ChinaQingdao, China
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Qingdao_Zhan_Qiao.jpg
Author: M. Weitzel
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Qingdao (青岛) is the biggest city in Shandong Province, in eastern China. Formerly written as Tsingtao, it is a sub-provincial city in Shinan District bordered by Yantai to the northeast, Weifang to the west, and Rizhao to the southwest. Qingdao is a coastal city facing the Yellow Sea to the east. Due to its location, Qingdao is today a major harbor, naval base and industrial center for eastern China.

The sub-provincial area of Qingdao covers 10,654 sq km (4,113 sq mi) and has a population of 7.5 million people. The urban center of Qingtao covers 1,102 sq km (425.5 sq mi) and has a population of 2.8 million people (2011 estimate).

The older part of Qingdao has many historical buildings that reflect German architectural style. This is because the city was seized and occupied by German troops from 1898 until 1914. Under German administration, Qingdao was developed with European-style streets. The Germans built schools, government buildings, and residential houses. They also developed the economy, building the Tsingtao Brewery that produces the famous Tsingtao beer. Protestant and Roman Catholic missionaries established their respective faiths and built churches.

German occupation was replaced by Japanese occupation in 1914. Qingdao returned to Chinese rule in 1922, under the Republic of China, only to be re-occupied by Japan during the Second World War, from 1938 until 1945, when it returned to the hands of the Kuomintang. The Red Army entered Qingdao in 1949, establishing Communist rule that remains until today.

Qingdao is today a modern city. As with other major cities in China, it has its share of skyscrapers. The city is famous for a number of seafood delicacies including sea cucumbers, abalones, shark's fin, prawns, squid, shrimps, and others. The famous Tsingdao beer continues to be celebrated with the annual Qingdao International Beer Festival, held every August/September.

Qingdao Railway StationQingdao Railway Station
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Qingdao_Railway_Station.jpg
Author: kanegen
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Planning your trip to Qingdao

The Qingdao International Airport is the gateway to the city. It is the home base of Shandong Airlines, and a major hub for China Eastern Airlines. You can fly directly to Qingdao from Busan, Hong Kong, Nagoya, Osaka, Seoul, Taipei and Tokyo. The airport is 32 km from downtown. You can reach the city by taxi. The fare is around ¥140.

Exploring Qingdao

Until the subway in ready (expected completion of the first line is in 2014), the most practical way is to take the taxi. Regular taxis charge ¥9 at the start, and then charge by the meter. There are also limousine taxis charging a flag fall of ¥12 plus ¥1 petrol surcharge.

Qingdao at nightQingdao at night
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Night_Qingdao.JPG
Author: Castelfranco
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Places of Interest in Qingdao

  1. Ba Da Guan

  2. Jiaozhou Governor's Hall

  3. Little Qingdao Isle

  4. Lu Xun Park

  5. May Fourth Square

  6. Mount Lao Scenic Area

  7. Music Square

  8. Qingdao Botanical Garden

  9. Qingdao Folk Museum

  10. Qingdao International Beer Town

  11. Qingdao Sculpture Museum

  12. Qingdao Seaside Sightseeing Path

  13. Qingdao Underwater World

  14. Qingdao Zoological Garden

  15. St Michael's Cathedral

  16. Tian Hou Temple

  17. Tsingtao Brewery

  18. Tuan Dao Shan

  19. Xiao Yu Shan

  20. Xinhao Shan Park

  21. Zhan Qiao Pier

  22. Zhanshan Temple

  23. Zhongshan Park

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Dear visitor, thank you so much for reading this page. My name is Timothy Tye and my hobby is to find out about places, write about them and share the information with you on this website. I have been writing this site since 5 January 2003. Originally (from 2003 until 2009, the site was called AsiaExplorers. I changed the name to Penang Travel Tips in 2009, even though I describe more than just Penang but everywhere I go (I often need to tell people that "Penang Travel Tips" is not just information about Penang, but information written in Penang), especially places in Malaysia and Singapore, and in all the years since 2003, I have described over 20,000 places.

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