Qingdao Travelogue 2024
Qingdao’s May weather blesses a 20 degrees temperature, warm sun, and chilly sea breeze — it is a wonderful pastime to gaze at the seaside, venture across its neighborhoods, or sit in beautiful parks. Some of my favorite scenic spots include:
信號山公園 (Signal Hill)
Situated in the city center, Signal Hill rises 98 meters above sea level — a wonderful observation point for Qingdao’s cityscape. It is my favorite scenic spot of the city, as a short climb to its observation deck grants a bird’s eye view of the sprawling metropolis. There is 360 degrees rotating tower at the summit, providing an excellent view of Qingdao’s panorama — Bavarian architecture with red roof tiles, lush green vegetation, turquoise sea, and blue skies. The cultural essence of the city is reflected in the beautiful cityscape. Qingdao’s European and traditional Chinese architecture reflects its German colonial past and cultural roots of Confucianism and Taoism. Qingdao looks like a mid-sized Bavarian town from the hilltop, and it reminds me of Heidelberg, with red tile houses and cathedrals sprawling across the hills. Yet, traces of its roots — the Buddhist towers, eastern bridges, and Chinese slogans bring us back to its Oriental culture.
European architecture: 天主教堂、歐洲建築
With Qingdao’s colonial past and Japanese rule, many of the beautiful European architecture have interesting history with its different owners. The Qingdao Cathedral exemplifies Bavarian architecture, serving as a place of worship today. Villa Anna, built in 1901 by Robert Keppler to commemorate his relatives in Germany, was passed onto Japanese hands, Chinese businessman, and now serves as office space for a wedding company. The former site of the Kincheng Banking corporation was built in 1935 is decorated in beautiful stone carvings and staged with 5 iconic columns, in addition to a bell tower standing 12 meters high. These beautiful European architectures are now transformed into public administrative grounds, police stations, and private enterprise offices, turning a page in history.
八大關 (The Eight Great Passes)
Badaguan features European architecture with influences from Bavarian, Greek, and Gothic styles, as colonial officials built their residences when Qindao was a German protectorate. The mansions seamlessly blend their private lawns with public gardens, and I enjoyed strolling along the shaded pedestrian sidewalks with abundant greenspace. Today, the mansions are transformed to museums, private residences, and cafes, but the expansive area is tranquil and quiet. It is said that different tree species are deliberately lined up along each street, named after Chinese military forts. The tranquil ambiance, European architecture, and lush greenery makes Badaguan a wonderful photography place for families, youngsters, and weddings.
五四廣場 (May Fourth Square)
Situated amid Qingdao’s central business district and municipal government offices, the May Fourth Square features the “May Wind” modern architecture. Facing the sea to the south and lined by tall skyscrapers to the north, May Fourth Square reminds me of HK Admiralty’s Tamar Park waterfront promenade. The square features an expansive waterfront, connecting Fushan Bay to the south and Qingdao municipal government to the north. Sitting on the benches overlooking the sea, tucked under the beautiful tree-lined plaza overlooking the sea view is my favorite afternoon respite. Mid-May is one of the best seasons to visit Qingdao, with a mild temperature before the approaching summer heat. The liberating sea breeze, the spacious plaza, and blossoming golden privets that radiated a subtle fragrance adds to its charm.
青島啤酒博物館 (Tsingtao brewery museum)
Tsingtao’s beer industry is heavily influenced by its German colonial past, as German settlers missed the familiar beverage from home. Thus, the Anglo-German Brewery company was established back in German rule, and production began in Qingdao since 1903, using Laoshan spring, malted rice, and hops. The museum was divided into two buildings, with one featuring the company’s development history and another one showcasing production methods with large machinery. Interestingly, Tsingtao beer is the first mainland company to go public offshore, and it was listed in HKEX in 1993 with the ticker 168.HK, symbolizing a token of good luck in the Chinese language. Tsingtao beer is now produced in more than 50 breweries in China and exported globally to 70+ countries worldwide. In the second part of the visit, I took a glimpse of the heavy machinery used for beer production, from raw material crushing, saccharification, filtration, fermentation, to packaging. Visitors are served draft beer and cooked beer (flavored) — a happy ending to the brewery visit.
湛山寺 (Zhanshan temple):
Situated in the Shinan District of Qindao and facing the sea, Zhanshan temple is a popular Buddhist temple in Qingdao. A huge sanctuary with a beautiful pond, abundant evergreen plantations, huge prayer halls, and a tall bell tower, it offers a peaceful respite away from the city. The colossal prayer halls are lined with great Buddha statues, offering kneeling pads for pious pilgrims. The spacious sanctuary and lush plantations make the praying ritual a pleasant and relaxing experience. After my visit to different prayer halls, I lined up at the temple restaurant serving hot buns and vegetarian noodles. The radish and tofu vegetarian buns molded like a leaf is one of the best I’ve tasted — simple abundance cherished with gratefulness.
棧橋
Arguably one of the most popular tourist sites in Qingdao, the piers of the 棧橋 bridge have always been lined with tourists. It is the symbol of Qingdao, and the beautiful 8-sided pavilion 回瀾閣 at the end of the bridge is the icon for Tsingtao Beer today. Built in 1892 in the Qing dynasty for transporting military supplies and training the navy, it is a bridge of 400 meters long and 8 meters wide. Walking along the pier and appreciating the cool sea breeze is a delight, so is watching families and tourists relishing the beautiful view.
Reflections
红瓦绿树碧海蓝天 Red ties, green trees, turquoise sea, and blue skies — Tsingtao radiates a magical charm, and it is one of my favorite cities in China. What makes Qingdao special? (1) Family roots: I’ve always been curious about this remarkable northern city, with part of my family from Gaomi. Shandong is a province that I’ve imagined, read about, and dreamed of, and such eager anticipation made it special. (2) Ocean city: The expansive presence of the sea gives cities a unique aurora — we cannot not think about Hong Kong without Victoria Harbor or Normandy without Etretat. Sea ports balance the rough edges of a city, adding warmth, strength, and openness to its character. Walking along the seaside promenades of 五四廣場 (May Fourth square)、八大關 (Badaguan Scenic Area)、棧橋 (Zhanqiao Pier), I enjoyed the refreshing and calming sea breeze — reminding me of different seascapes and beautiful memories. (3) European architecture (German colonial styles): Legacies of the German architecture in Qingtao’s colonial past (1898–1914) are ubiquitous in the city. From Bavarian architecture, Catholic curches, to Qingtao’s famous Brewery, a stroll in the old districts brings you back to Qingdao’s distant past. (4) The people: Curious observations and warm interactions led to my first impressions of the locals: 厚道平和、低調話不多（不過嗓門大）、客氣寬厚、守秩序. (5) Northern Cuisine: Shandong’s cuisine exemplifies simple abundance: Steamed buns, baked wheaten cakes, dumplings, and Shandong pancakes.
