Where to stay in Qingdao

See

• Qingdao TV Tower
• Zhan Qiao
• Qingdao Textile Valley
• Qingdao Jiaozhou Bay Bridge
• Baihuayuan Gardens
• Badaguan
• Little Qingdao Island
• Luxun Park
• Polar Ocean World
• Qingdao Eastern Bear Park
• Qingdao Underwater World/Qingdao Aquarium
• Xiaoyushan Park

Do

Qingdao has some wonderful beaches worthy of visiting. Unfortunately, litter is a problem at all of them, ranging from the occasional cigarette butt to having to wade through a flotsam of trash just to get into the ocean itself. Your experience will vary depending on the tides and the time of year you visit. During summer weekends, Qingdao city beaches are very crowded (sometimes upwards of 100,000 people), and slightly less crowded on summer weekdays. Again, these can be packed full of people during the weekends. Bring sunscreen, while you can buy beach toys, food, drinks, and knick-knacks at any of Qingdao's beaches, surprisingly no-one sells sunscreen at the beach.

• Laoshan Beach
• Old Stone Man Beach
• Beach #1
• Beach #2
• Beach #3 (City Beach)
• Beach #6 (Muscle Beach)
• Silver Beach
• Golden Beach
• Qingdao International Beer Festival
• Qingdao International Fashion Week
• Qingdao International Ocean Festival
• Qingdao International Jewelry Festival

Eat

Head to Yunxiao Road west of Fuzhou South Road for a large selection of restaurants of all Chinese varieties ranging from the local Shandong style, to Cantonese and Sichuan. Yunxiao Road is recognized as Qingdao's restaurant street, and serves up a wide variety of mouth watering dishes. Minjiang Road, near Fushou South Road (bordering on Qingdao's restaurant district), has several outstanding restaurants. The area is booming with foods from around the world. Qingdao cuisine is part of Shandong cuisine and places emphasis on seafood. Common dishes include steamed clams, braised sea cucumber, and grilled squid. Local dumplings, especially those filled with mackerel, are a common dish.

Drink

Being Qingdao, you can expect to find, well, copious amounts of fresh Tsingtao. The brewery was founded by Germans during colonial times. Every August there is a beer festival (check the listing in the "Do" section). Many European breweries participate. One of the neatest things about Qingdao is the ability to purchase fresh from the factory draft beer almost anywhere. You will often see kegs sitting outside most restaurants and snack stores. The beer is sold by weight (asking for "yi jin" gives you 500 g, or half a litre), this will be served to you in a plastic bag!

Stay safe

Generally, Qingdao is a very safe city although the general travel advisories such as keeping your bag close, not flashing large amounts of money and using common sense are always advised. Violent crime or serious thievery is not a common problem. When swimming, be aware of strong currents and sudden changes in tide. Only swim in designated areas and follow local warnings. Jellyfish may be present in late summer. Lifeguards are on duty at major beaches during peak season. Visitors should also take standard precautions in crowded areas and keep valuables secure.