Qingdao’s clean beaches, European architecture and great beer inspired from Lao Shan’s crisp spring water make this city an idyllic getaway to spend a few relaxing days strolling along the boardwalk while watching the sunrise over the ocean.
Despite having no island, Qingdao is deceptively named “Green Island” in Chinese. This doesn’t deter locals from referring to this laidback city as the “island city.” In southern Shandong, this city was only a small scenic fishing village until the might of international politics thrust it upon the world stage. In 1897, two German missionaries in Shandong Province were killed, using this as a pretext, and in 1898, Kaiser Wilhelm II forced the Qing government to lease Qingdao to Germany for 99 years.
The Kaiser intended to keep Qingdao for those 99 years and built a typical German-styled city. The Germans expanded Qingdao’s infrastructure, expanding its excellent harbor, building a rail connection to the provincial capital and piping in spring water from Lao Shan. Taking advantage of Lao Shan’s spring water, a beer brewery was built in 1903 and today Qingdao is a center of Chinese beer production.
The city remained in German possession until the First World War when the Japanese, with British aid, took the city. As a member of the Allied Powers, the Chinese government demanded the return of Qingdao to Chinese sovereignty, but under the Treaty of Versailles, Qingdao and all German possessions in Asia were given to Japan. Bowing to widespread protests, the Chinese delegation refused to sign the treaty and in 1919, pent up resentment and anger unleashed itself as the May Fourth Movement. The movement was a decisive point in the creation of a national Chinese consciousness. In 1922, control of Qingdao was finally transferred back to Chinese.
The skilled German engineers built Qingdao into a small Bavarian town. Fresh air and crowd free streets help complete the trans-formation. The area around Bada Guan (bādà guān 八大关), close to the No. 2 Bathing Beach (dì’èr hǎishuǐ yùchǎng第二海水浴场), is the former German residential area, meaning “eight passes.” Bada Guan now sports ten streets line with 100 Western villas. Spacious and blessed with greenery, each street is lined with a single type of tree; locals can tell what street they’re on just by looking at the trees. Close to the ocean and bathed with a yearlong sea breeze, it’s easy to understand why many chose this area for their home. Summers here are breathtaking and some of the historic villas are available for rent.
Next to Bada Guan and east of the beach is a giant outcropping of stone with a Russian-styled villa built on top. Built in 1932, this grandiose villa combines an interesting mix of Greek, Roman and Gothic influences. The five-storey structure is made of marble and stone and also features a large turret that adds a Gothic touch. Because of the colorful rocks used in building the villa, the locals have nicknamed the structure “the colourful rock building” (huāshí lóu花石楼). There’s also a bit of intrigue surrounding the villa, a secret passage used by Chiang Kai-shek leads from the building directly to the seashore.
In 1891, Qing soldiers began building a dock that extended 200m into the ocean. The dock was named Zhan Qiao (zhànqiáo栈桥) and was extended to 350m by the Germans who laid railroad tracks beside it and in 1931 the city government rebuilt the dock using concrete. At the end of the dock is the Huilan Pavilion (huílán gé 回澜阁), which offers an unrestricted view of the ocean. Locals like to head out the beach when the tide is out to pick seashells. Watch out for bombarding seagulls when they congregate in Qingdao during the winter.
Zhongshan Lu is Qingdao’s major shopping thoroughfare. With a wealth of stores and restaurants, a leisurely stroll will end up with lots of shopping or eating, or both.
A 20-minute drive east on Zhongshan Lu is a commanding Catholic church on top of a hill. The majesty of the church is easily conveyed by two 20m-tall bell towers, each housing four bells and topped with 4.5m wide cross. The church remains an active place of worship and holds regular mass. Entry for churchgoers is free during mass; outside of mass, a RMB 5 ticket is required from 8:30am to 4pm.
A few minutes southeast is the Protestant church. Built in 1910, it was the first German church in Qingdao. This elegant structure features a red-tiled roof and green clock tower with a clock that’s still in use. Just north of this church is Signal Hill (xìnhào shān 信号山); flags were once raised here to signal ships in the harbor. Climbers are rewarded with a great view of the coast and the two churches.
On the south slope of the hill is a massive German villa. The magnificently built mansion was the former residence of the German governor and the entire estate covers 26,000m – No extravagance was spared in its construction much of the construction material was shipped from Europe – the governor felt he deserved the utmost in luxury. Unfortunately for him when the Kaiser saw the construction bill, the hapless governor was immediately recalled.
There’s more to Qingdao than beaches and villas, the city is also dotted with free parks. Some of the particularly nice ones are Lu Xun Park (Lǔ Xùn gōngyuán 鲁迅公园), Sea World (hǎidǐ shìjiè 海底世界), May Fourth Square (wǔsì guǎngchǎng 五四广场) and the Sculpture Garden (hǎibīn diāosùyuán 海滨雕塑园), which has free displays of modern art. For a city that’s famous for beer, the Qingdao International Beer Festival (qīngdǎo guójì píjiǔjié青岛国际啤酒节) is an event that’ll whet any beer lovers’ thirst. Every late August the city turns into a carnival of beer and sun. Live performances, parades and lots of beers add to the excitement, just watch where you step as some drink a little too much.
The city is now building a boardwalk that will stretch the entire length of the shore for those looking for a quiet walk along the seaside. The boardwalk at the No.1 and No.2 beaches has already been built, construction will be completed by the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
LAO SHAN
Lao Shan (láo shān崂山) is one of the places where Taoism first originated. About 7km east of the Old Stone Man beach (shí lǎorén石老人); the mountain is one of Taoism’s most important pilgrimage destinations. In the past, Taoist priests living on the mountain were conferred with special privileges. The mountain saw the most development during the late-Song and early-Yuan dynasties and was home to over 100 temples, each searching for “the Way” in solitude. Ancient travelers thought immortals lived on this scenic mountain and many legends grew out of that belief.
Lao Shan is now best known for its spring water, which is considered the best in China. It’s also this spring water that made Qingdao famous for its beer. Not only is this water good for making people drunk, vegetables grown using this water are reputedly much tastier, something local fruit and vegetable peddlers will all point out.
There are many routes up the mountain and many hidden trails make it a joy to explore. Oddly, palm trees are abundant on Lao Shan despite being in the north, and note the varying vegetation at different elevations. At the end of Lao Shan Lu is the Palace of Great Purity (tàiqīng gōng艺太清宫), which is made of three pavilions. The main pavilion is Sanqing Pavilion (sānqīng diàn 三清殿), which houses a statue of Laozi (Lǎozǐ 老子), the founder of Taoism, and the mythical Jade Emperor. To the left of this pavilion is the Pavilion of the Three Emperors (sānhuáng diàn 三皇殿) and to the right is the Pavilion of the Three Officials (sānguān diàn 三官殿). These buildings were constructed during the Song dynasty to perform Taoist ceremonies. Beijiu Shui (běi jiǔshuǐ 北九水) is just north of the Palace of Great Purity and is a wild area laced by rivers, streams and cascading waterfalls.
A cable car close to the Palace of Great Purity whisks visitors to Shangqing Gong (shàngqīng gōng 上清宫) at the peak of Lao Shan. Great views abound on Lao Shan, but make sure the strong ocean wind doesn’t blow you off the mountain. South of the peak is the Dragon Pool Falls (lóngtán pù 龙潭瀑). Because of the high winds, the water is blown into spray that resembles a thundershower more than a curtain of water. Be careful in this area and stay on the high ground away from slippery surfaces. Visitors have been blown off the mountain and into the sea.