Port · Historic city · Scenic area · Shandong
Qingdao
青岛
Red roofs, beer and the sea on Jiaozhou Bay
Qingdao is the largest city and port of Shandong, on the southern coast of the peninsula at the entrance to Jiaozhou Bay. A German leased territory from 1898 to 1914, it keeps red-roofed villas, churches and the brewery that still makes Tsingtao beer, and today is a major port, a manufacturing centre and a seaside resort beneath the Daoist mountain of Laoshan.
Key facts
Overview
Qingdao began as a fishing coast and a small Qing garrison. Germany seized it in 1897 and built a colonial port city with a railway to Jinan, a brewery, a governor's residence and residential quarters of stone villas under red tile roofs. That townscape, set on hills above sandy bays, still gives the old city its character.
Today Qingdao is a sub-provincial city with separate status in the national plan, home to the appliance makers Haier and Hisense, to Tsingtao Brewery and to one of the world's busiest container ports. It is also a centre of marine science and one of China's most popular summer resorts, with beaches, seafront promenades and the granite peaks of Laoshan to the east.
Names and nicknames
岛城
“Island City”
From the small island of Qingdao (“green island”) offshore, which gave the city its name.
琴岛
“Zither Island”
Literary name, from the shape of Xiaoqingdao island and a homophone of the city's name.
帆船之都
“sailing capital”
Since Qingdao hosted the sailing events of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
History
The Qing stationed troops at Qingdao in 1891. After the killing of two German missionaries in 1897, Germany occupied Jiaozhou Bay and obtained a 99-year lease in 1898. Japan took the city in 1914; the award of the German rights to Japan at Versailles triggered the May Fourth Movement, and Qingdao returned to China in 1922. Japan occupied it again from 1938 to 1945. It was one of the fourteen coastal cities opened in 1984.
1891
Qing garrison established
Usually taken as the founding date of the city; the Zhanqiao pier was built soon after.
1898
German lease of Jiaozhou Bay
Germany began building a planned colonial port city and the Jiaozhou–Jinan railway.
1903
Germania brewery founded
Founded by German and British investors, it became Tsingtao Brewery.
1914
Siege of Tsingtao
Japanese and British forces took the city from Germany in the first months of the First World War.
1922
Return to China
After the Washington Conference, Japan returned the territory to Chinese administration.
1984
Open coastal city
Qingdao was opened to foreign investment and grew into a manufacturing and port centre.
2008
Olympic sailing regatta
The sailing events of the Beijing Olympics were held off Fushan Bay.
Landmarks
Historic site
Zhanqiao Pier
栈桥
Pier of the 1890s extending into Qingdao Bay, with the Huilan Pavilion at its end.
Street or quarter
Badaguan
八大关
Villa quarter of the 1930s with streets named after passes of the Great Wall, each lined with a different tree.
Temple or shrine
St Michael's Cathedral
天主教堂
Twin-spired Catholic cathedral completed in 1934 in the old town.
Historic site
Former German Governor's Residence
德国总督楼旧址
Jugendstil residence of 1908 on Signal Hill, now a museum.
Museum
Tsingtao Beer Museum
青岛啤酒博物馆
Museum in the original brewery buildings of 1903.
Nature
Laoshan
崂山
Granite mountain by the sea with the Taiqing Palace and other Daoist temples; source of Laoshan mineral water.
Modern landmark
May Fourth Square
五四广场
Seafront square with the red spiral “May Wind” sculpture, near the Olympic Sailing Center.
Neighbourhoods
The old town
老城区
German-era streets between the station, Zhanqiao and the cathedral.
Badaguan
八大关
Leafy villa district above the beaches.
West Coast New Area
西海岸新区
Huangdao and the new districts across Jiaozhou Bay, linked by bridge and tunnel.
Food
Spicy stir-fried clams
辣炒蛤蜊
The city's signature dish, eaten with beer.
Mackerel dumplings
鲅鱼水饺
Boiled dumplings filled with Spanish mackerel.
Draught beer
散啤
Fresh beer sold by weight in plastic bags from neighbourhood shops.
Seafood stalls
海鲜大排档
Outdoor restaurants where diners choose live seafood to be cooked.
Culture
Qingdao's culture is maritime and relaxed. Beer is part of daily life — the city holds an international beer festival every summer — and the seafront is crowded from July to September. The German-era old town, the Daoist temples of Laoshan and the marine research institutes all contribute to the city's identity. Qingdao has a strong sailing culture since the 2008 Olympics.
Getting around
- Qingdao Metro connects the old town, the eastern districts, the airport and the West Coast New Area.
- Qingdao station in the old town and Qingdao North serve high-speed trains to Jinan, Beijing and Shanghai.
- Jiaodong International Airport, opened in 2021, lies in Jiaozhou north-west of the city.
- The Jiaozhou Bay Bridge and an undersea tunnel link the city with Huangdao.
Day trips
Laoshan
崂山
Coastal mountain with Daoist temples and walking routes.
Golden Beach
金沙滩
Long beach in the West Coast New Area.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Qingdao Municipal People's Government — Qingdao Municipal People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Seventh National Population Census communiqués — National Bureau of Statistics of China (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Qingdao — Encyclopaedia Britannica (retrieved 27 September 2026)
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