Qingdao, Shandong – City of History and Beauty
Qingdao is one of the beautiful cities of China. With its mix of seashore landscapes, historic buildings, and skylines of modern glass and steel, Qingdao deserves to be high on the tourist sites in China.
I have enjoyed a number of visits to Qingdao, mostly in winter months. Even then, the city is a charming place to explore.
On my first visit I simply walked down to the seashore from my hotel and explored the Wusi (May 4th) Square and the Fushan Bay area. The striking “whirlwind” art form located here between Qingdao City Hall and the bay commemorates one of the 1922 popular protests by Chinese youth demanding action against the colonial encroachments on China by foreign powers.
Today, the area has been selectively developed to preserve some of the old colonial buildings while creating a beautiful seaside boardwalk and promenade. This was where the Olympic Sailing events were staged in 2008.
I have a first album of photos of this area. Please see links below.
On a later visit I enjoyed walks through the older historic parts of Qingdao. As a Westerner, I often seek out locations in China where many of the dramatic developments of East-West history have been played out. Qingdao has much history of such contacts, primarily with Germany but also other foreign powers of former years.
I examine the area known as BaDaGuan in my second album which continues to preserve beautiful villas, government buildings and churches from the early 1900s when Germany secured what was to have been a 99-year lease on the bay area. Today, Qingdao is a favorite spot for tourists of all types with beautiful hotels overlooking the sea and some of the most famous beaches in China.
Another day I explored the (German) Governor’s Mansion on Signal Hill and other notable sites including the campus of the Ocean University of China and the XiaoYuShan tower that provide a splendid view of the old city and beach areas.
In the albums below look for further information in the captions.
Album: A Beautiful Seaside City
Album: Qingdao (Shandong) – My First Historic Walk
Album: Qingdao (Shandong) – My Second Historic Walk
First published: 2011/09/15
Latest revision: 2020/09/29
