Qingdao

Highlights

• Badaguan Scenic Area (German and colonial-era villas)
• Zhanqiao Pier and Huilan Pavilion
• Signal Hill Park panoramic views
• Tsingtao Beer Museum
• No. 1 and No. 2 Bathing Beaches
• Qingdao Olympic Sailing Centre
• Laoshan Mountain coastal scenic area (day trip)

Getting Around

Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport (TAO), opened in 2021, has direct routes from Beijing (around 1.5 hours), Shanghai (around 1.5 hours), and international routes to Japan and South Korea. High-speed rail connects Qingdao to Beijing in approximately 3.5 hours, Jinan in approximately 1.5 hours, and a cross-sea bridge route to Weifang and beyond. The metro has 6 lines, with Line 8 running from the airport to Qingdao North Railway Station.

Food

Qingdao's coastal location makes fresh seafood the centrepiece of its cuisine. Clams (蛤蜊) steamed or stir-fried with ginger are the quintessential Qingdao snack, consumed in vast quantities alongside draught Tsingtao beer. Grilled squid, sea cucumber, and abalone are abundant at the evening street stalls along Minjiang Road's seafood strip. Pickled jellyfish and seaweed salads appear as cold starters at virtually every restaurant in the city.

Stay

The Badaguan and Zhongshan Road historic districts offer boutique hotels in renovated colonial buildings with sea views, at a significant price premium. The Fushan Bay Olympic area near the sailing centre has modern hotels popular with business travellers. Budget hostels concentrate around Qingdao Railway Station in the old city, convenient for both the beach and the ferry port.

Budget