Qingdao
At first sight China looks like Germany. Red-roofed turn of the century housing blocks ride up the steep hills. Looming above them are two unmistakably Nordic churches, one with tall, slim spires and the other with a copper-domed clock tower. I blink again and it's France, with avenues of neatly cropped plane trees and solid bourgeois seaside villas running down to white sand, rock pools and a harbour wall. Look along the shore and it's Manhattan, with a cluster of crested skyscrapers thrusting up from an undergrowth of cranes.
The eclectic skyline emerging from the early morning haze is the city of Qingdao, 'Green Island'. It was once a small Chinese fishing village which attracted the attention of German missionaries at the end of the last century. Traders and troops followed the missionaries and Qingdao quickly became part of a German concession. The local Chinese could only stand and watch as a naval depot, coaling wharfs, houses, hotels, churches, a brewery and a railway created Bavaria on the Yellow Sea. The Japanese took it over in 1914, lost it again after the First World War and regained it in 1938, but it remained little more than a seaside resort until the 1980s when South Korean and Taiwanese money transformed the local economy for a second time. Today 'Green Island' is a conurbation of 6.8 million people.
From a balcony I look out over the garden. A group of young women wearing an ensemble of black jackets, trousers and high-heels, are sweeping the lawn with besom brushes. There is something passive and docile in their attitude to this largely pointless task and it doesn't much surprise me that, according to my Insight guide, China ranks 132nd in the world in women's working conditions.
I haven't slept very well. It wasn't the maotai as much as the awareness that some of the most ruthless men of this century have slept beneath this roof and, for all I know, on my very bed. The Welcome Guest House was one of the great holiday homes for dictators. Mao Tse-Tung spent a month here in the room below mine, a year before instituting the first of his brutal experiments with the Chinese population He lived on pills for insomnia and constipation. I swear I heard him pacing up and down last night. A plaque outside the room next door records the visits of Lin Biao, author of The Little Red Book and, with Mao, instigator of the savageries of the Cultural Revolution; while Ho-Chi-Minh of Vietnam, Prince Sihanouk of Cambodia, Mao's foreign minister Zhou Enlai and two general secretaries of the Albanian Communist Party all stared up at my ceiling. Though not at the same time.
The prettiest part of the Qingdao sea front is called Number 6 Bathing Beach. Despite a cold, crisp autumn morning a few souls are prepared to take on the Pacific. They enter the water with a certain panache, arms extended, muscles flexed like hopeful entrants for a Mr Universe competition. Most other people confine their adventures to scrambling across the slimy rocks in big overcoats. There are beach photographers trying to lure people into their peacock chairs and trinket sellers with pieces of coral and necklaces, stamping their feet against the cold. It's comforting to know that the Chinese can have as miserable a time by the seaside as the Dutch.
On the pavement of a road behind the sea front is a line of men in white coats holding red crosses and standing beside what look like portable operating tables. I look around to see if there has been some dreadful accident but am assured the men are masseurs waiting for business. Passers-by lie down on the beds without ceremony and without even taking their coats off. I join them and quickly realize why you don't need to take anything off. All the masseurs are blind with fingers so powerful they could probably reach you through a suit of armour. They have a technique of rotating clenched fists so fast that the heat almost burns. Walk away with a feeling of quite bearable lightness.
- Shandong province has a long, rich history (before the First Empire it was the state of
Qi; it was also the birthplace of Confucius,) but Qingdao, with a population of 6.6
million, is almost a century old and surprisingly European. A picturesque city surrounded
on three sides by the Yellow Sea, it was a German possession for 16 years after 1898, and
still features startling examples of Bavarian style architecture, particularly the railway
station, the twin-spired Catholic Church and the former German Governor's residence.
Another colonial legacy is the famous brewery, which produces beer labelled with the
city's former name, Tsingtao. Qingdao's visitor attractions include six sandy beaches and
some excellent museums. The weather is generally mild with four distinct seasons, the most
pleasant being spring and autumn.
Shandong, geographically located
in the northeastern corner of China, is an important cultural and economic
center for the country. Shandong is an ideal tourist destination with many
interesting sights and colorful customs. Most notably is the town of Qufu
where Confucius
(the greatest educator and philosopher in ancient China) was born. Also worth
visiting while in Shandong are the revered Mount Tai, the capital Jinan,
and the beaches of German influenced found in Qingdao.
Since the climate of Shandong is greatly influenced by the ocean spread over
3000 km winding coastal lines, there are four distinct seasons making Shandong a region with many faces.
Airport Information
- Distance to city: 36 km
- Transportation between airport and city
Visa
- Home entry permit is required for HK Chinese.
- Visa is required for foreigners
- Click here for more details
Customs
- Customs allowance
- Tobacco: 400 cigarettes
- Liquor: two 75cl bottles of alcoholic beverages
- Customs rules require an accounting of all valuables including watches, jewellery,
cameras and currency that you are taking in. A copy of this is surrendered on departure
and anything missing may well be treated as imported and duty required accordingly.
Therefore make sure you obtain a police report for any goods stolen during your stay.
- Recorded video-tapes must be declared and may be viewed by the Authorities on arrival.
- Click here for more details
Currency
- Renminbi (RMB)
- Approximately RMB1 = HK$0.9297 = US$0.1197(updated 25 Mar 1996)
- Click here for
restrictions
<h4>Tax
- Airport Tax
- - International: RMB 90
- - Domestic: RMB 15
Embassies and Consulates
- Please click here
Time Zone
- GMT: + 8
- Difference from Hong Kong: + 0
Accommodation
- Please click here
Transportation
- Taxi
Tourist Attractions
- Laoshan Mountains
Only about 30km east of the city, this spectacular range is well within day-trip distance.
Many organized tours are available. climbing the 1,113-meter main peak requires some
stamina, but the views of Qingdao and the surrounding countryside from the top are more
than memorable.
- Qingdao Brewery
Established at the turn of the century, the brewery is open to visitors and regular tours
take place. Through several other beers are sold in China, Tsingtao takes up by far the
largest portion of the market, and it is well-known and appreciated throughout the world
for its crisp flavour.
- Qingdao Beaches
Though Qingdao weather does not permit ocean swimmimg all year round, the warmer months
are perfect for sunning and splashing at any of half a dozen excellent city beaches,
located along the southeastern coast. All the beaches have golden sand, refreshment
outlets and changing facilities.
- Qingdao Art Museum
Originally built by wealthy Qingdao merchants as a welfare institution for the city's
poor, this fine building now houses a superb and extensive collection of Yuan, Ming and
Wing Dynasty paintings, and an archaeological exhibit illustrating Shandong's colourful
history.
- Huilan (Rebounding Wave) Pavilion
This centrally-sited showcase is a landmark on the city's harbourfront, located right at
the end of prominent Zhangqiao Pier. Within, two floors of exhibition space display
paintings, carvings and other examples of contemporary Shandong arts and crafts, much of
it destined for export.
- Lu Xun Park
One of the most popular gathering spots for Qingdao residents, this restful oasis in the
city is named for on of the most famous authors of modern China. Lovely winding pathways
lead through botanical gardens, and there's a marine products museum displaying rare and
protected marine species.
- Huadong Winery
This operation is at the leading edge of China's plam to become a wine-producing country.
Established in 1986, it produces the only varietal vintage wine in the country, and the
only wine to win medals in European competitions. Free tours, tastings (and transport, for
groups)are available.
- Xiao Qingdao
The Germans built a lighthouse on this tiny island in 1900, and it was a restricted
military area until 1987. These days it's open to visitors, and tours include the
lighthouse as well as botanical gardens that feature the rare Qingdao White Lily, which
grows only in southern Shandong.
Tours and Activities
- Tours from Hong Kong
Shopping Guide
- Regional arts and crafts abound in Shandong, and all are for sale in Qingdao. Antiques
are also offered, but pieces on sale must be approved by the government. Unique but
inexpensive souvenirs include the distinctive six-sided hats of Shandong and ornate
locally-crafted shellware. The best shopping area is the colourful and scenic old German
quarter, along Zhongshan Lu, just off Qingdao Lu.
- Qingdao Friendship Store - 12 Xinjing Lu
- Qingdao Department Store - 51 Zhongshan Lu
Restaurant Guide
- Though recognized as one of the most significant influences in classical Chinese
cookery, Shandong cuisine is nonetheless still little known outside northeastern China.
Elegant presentation is an integral part of the Qingdao food experience, and Shandong
dishes are richly flavourful. Unique seafood recipes are naturally the best-known Qingdao
culinary creations, and vegetarian restaurants offer fresh local agricultural produce,
except in mid-winter.
- New Orleans Music Restaurant (Jazz Music & Chinese Cuisine) - Sun Plaza
- White Spray Live Seafood Restaurant (Seafood) - 8 Nanhai Lu
Language
- Official Languages: Putunghua
Electricity
- 220 volts, 50 cycles
Emergency Number
- S.O.S. Worldwide Alarm Centres:
- Tourist Hotline: 5261179
- Ambulance: 120 , 7213460
- Emergencies: 110 (foreigner's section 552729)
- Fire: 119
- Tel No. Enquiry: 114
- Police: 110
- Foreign Affairs Office of Police: 7216795
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