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Qingdao [1] (青岛; Qīngdǎo; also known as Tsingtao), is regarded by some Chinese as one of the most beautiful and clean cities in China. With a population of around 3.5 million (8 million regional) it is the largest city in Shandong Province. The name Qingdao means The Blue/Green Island. In 2008, Qingdao was named China's 7th-most livable city.

[edit] Understand

Qingdao is a city steeped in China's 20th century history. Qingdao was taken as part of the Imperial German Concession of Jiaozhou Bay. Despite ongoing discussions with Chinese authorities about giving the Germans a territory, on 7 November 1897, they landed troops. Their pretext was the murder of two missionaries on 1 November of that year.

The concession treaty was signed on 6 March 1889, for a 99 year lease. However, Japan occupied it on 27 August 1914, as part of World War I. The Germans acquired it as a relatively unimportant town of about 1,000 inhabitants. Yet by 1902, it had grown to 668 Caucasians and 15,000 Chinese. Today, the city has a population of 2.6 million.

During the colonial period, the Germans left a distinct mark on Qingdao's architecture that can still be seen in its historic center and train station. The train station has undergone a recent overhaul that has tried to strike a balance between maintaining its colonial heritage while modernizing to be the terminus of the high speed rail line to Beijing. Many German-period buildings have been preserved as heritage monuments. It is a kind of Bavaria-on-the-East-China-Sea, where they even sell Bratwurst on the street. In 1903, the world famous Tsingtao brewery was established by homesick Germans.

The Japanese took the city since, during World War I, they were allied with the British. After the war, the Japanese wanted to continue holding on to the city, but protests by students during the May 4th Movement of 1919, eventually forced them to return the city to Chinese soverignity. During the World War II, the Japanese retook Qingdao as they captured most of the rest of northern China.

In 2008, Qingdao hosted the sailing events of the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Qingdao's early summer is quite an enjoyable season, although it can be humid near sea shore. Late summer can become hot, while other places of Northern China start to feel cooler. The climate in winter can be harsh but snow patches can generally last no longer than a few days. Qingdao is an ideal destination if you want to combine sea-side fun with your trip to China.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By boat

From Incheon, Korea there are ferries thrice-weekly by Weidong Ferries [2]. There are also twice-weekly connections to Shimonoseki, Japan on Orient Ferries [3]. The trip takes over 24 hours and 2nd class one-way costs ¥12,000.

[edit] Some points to note about the Orient Ferry

• The voyage is 1 night from Shimonoseki to Qingdao, but 2 nights from Qingdao to Shimonoseki.
• The ferry also serves as a cargo vessel and after boarding in Qingdao, it will often take several hours to finish being loaded with cargo before it departs.
• The restaurant food and drinks, snacks and souvenirs from the shop are all priced in Japanese Yen, so make sure to get some/have some left over before boarding.
• The cost of most food and drink is reasonable considering you're stuck on the boat with nowhere else to buy things, but the pennywise traveler will definitely bring their own alcohol, cigarettes, and snacks. (mind that there might be duties when crossing into Japan or China)
• There are electrical outlets in the lounge area, but if those are taken, there are also some up in the gym/fitness area, where no one goes.
• Be advised that on boarding from China, the ship operates under Japanese time, so change your watches and pay attention to announcements for when dinner will be served, as food is only served at certain times of the day.
• There are Japanese-style shower/bath rooms on the upper level where the first class rooms are located.

[edit] By plane

The Qingdao Liuting International Airport is the main hub for Shandong Airlines and a focus city of China Eastern Airlines. The flights between Qingdao and Shanghai, and Qingdao and Beijing are very frequent. TIP: If you arrive in Beijing or Shanghai in the morning or in the afternoon, you even don't have to book the flight ticket to Qingdao ahead. It will save you some money if you buy the ticket simply at the airport once you arrive in Beijing or Shanghai. International destinations include Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Seoul (Incheon) and Busan. Qingdao also has flights to Hong Kong and Taipei. The airport is 32 kilometers from the city itself, about half an hour taxi ride. Prices for a taxi ride from the airport to the Hong Kong Middle Road area should be between ¥80-120 depending on the route taken (The National Highway 308 is slower but cheaper, the toll expressway is faster and more expensive) and time of day (more expensive at night).

[edit] By train

Qingdao Railway Station (tel. +86 532 6011111, reservations +86 532 2962777) is at 2 Tai'an Road (泰安路2号) at the west end of Shinan District.

Trains from major cities not too far away include:

• Beijing - There is a daily sleeper train from Beijing taking about 9 hours and costing ¥116-326. There is now a much faster service from Beijing provided by China Railway High-speed that has 6 trains per day and takes a little less than 6 hours for ¥274-329.

• Shanghai - There is a daily sleeper train from Shanghai taking about 18 hours and costing ¥150-452. There is now a much faster service from Shanghai taking 10 hours and costing ¥420-504.

• Tianjin - 10 hours, ¥51-274

• Jinan - Fast trains taking less than 3 hours, slower and cheaper trains taking 5 hours

• Nanjing - Fast trains taking less than 8 hours, slower and cheaper trains taking 13 hours

Trains from major cities further away include:

• Harbin - 28 hours, ¥204-615

• Xian - 21-23 hours, ¥168-506

• Guangzhou - 28 hours, ¥266-738

• Nanning - 53 hours, ¥148-510

[edit] By bus

If you are travelling from within Shandong Province, going by bus is probably the easiest way. Especially now with the new excellent and fast expressways linking Qingdao with other cities in the province. There are several buses per day from Jinan, Taian, Qufu, as well as Yantai and Rizhao on the coast. They leave from and arrive to the bus station just outside the train station, but also from the new bus station north of town, which can be reached by local trolleybus number 5 in 20 minutes.

[edit] Visa information

Recently, Qingdao officials have been sweeping local bars. To avoid troubles, you may want to have copies of your passport and visa at all times. As travelers, it is still advisable to keep your actual passport in a "safe place" at your hotel or hostel.

[edit] Get around

[edit] By taxi

Take one of the plentiful taxis. Usually the base price is ¥7, and the price per kilometer is ¥1.20. You can get across town for less than ¥35. Be advised that there is indeed a fuel tax specific to Qingdao that is ¥1 regardless of distance traveled. Also be aware that you will be required to pay any toll fees incurred during the trip. So simply add ¥1 plus any toll fees you may have incurred (most likely not unless you traveled on the Qingyin Expressway) to the meter's reading.

[edit] By bus

The bus and trolleybus network is quite well put together and useful once you figure out the routes. Buses 26 and 501 run from the railway station (Shinan Distict) along the coast via Donghai West Road (Donghai Xi Lu) to all the beaches in the modern eastern part of town (CBD), where pubs and cafes are located. Many major routes have dedicated bus lanes, that can make taking the bus faster than taking a car during rush hour. Buses 316 and 231 will bring you to the center of the town from the newly renovated station. Regular buses cost ¥1 and the air conditioned ones are ¥2. If you get on a bus that goes really far (out to the suburbs) you need to tell the ticket person on the bus where you are going and it will cost up to ¥6.

[edit] By cycling

For some reason very few locals in Qingdao cycle. Renting a bike for the day is a great way to get around the city. There's more than 40km of waterfront trails and tons of side roads in the old colonial parts of town that are great for biking. If you really want a work out, try hiking Fushan or the TV Tower hills as there are some decent mountain bike trails in there as well.

[edit][add listing] See

• Zhan Qiao (栈桥 Zhàn​qiáo​). The famous pier Zhan Qiao is the iconic symbol of Qingdao and is in the logo of the Tsingtao Beer. Built by Germans during the German concession, it is a popular tourist station.  edit

• Catholic church.  edit

• Tsingtao Brewery, [4]. The brewery has some interesting exhibits and the bottling plant is fascinating.Inside the brewery you will see the history of the brewery and how beer was made in the late 19th and 20th century. Of course the ample free samples of beer are likely to persuade you this place is worth a visit.  edit

• German Governor's Residence, (If you want to find it, ask for the Qingdao Guest House). A Bavarian-style castle where Mao stayed as well. Also the observatories on the hills around it are interesting for good views and museums.  edit

• Zhan Shan Temple, (Situated at the foot of ZhanShan Hill and to the east of TaiPing Hill). 8AM-5PM daily. This temple was built in 1945. It has five halls and a pagoda, with an area of 20,000 square meters. The temple boasts a large collection of skillfully carved statues of Buddha and Buddhist scriptures. There are tens of thousands of people at ZhanShan Temple from the 8th to the 10th of April on the lunar calendar every year. ¥8.  edit

• Qingdao Municipal Museum, 27 Meiling Road, ☎ +86 532 88893336, [5]. April to September: 9AM-5:30PM; October to March: 9AM-4:30PM. This museum includes exhibits of art and antiquities of ancient to modern Qingdao. ¥20.  edit

• Haier Science Museum, 27 MeiLing Lu (In the same building as Qingdao Municipal Museum). A separate museum specially geared towards children. ¥10.  edit

• Qingdao Underwater World/Qingdao Aquarium (青岛海底世界 Qīng​dǎo​ Hǎi​dǐ​shì​jiè​), (Located next to the #1 beach), [6]. Aquarium open daily. Qingdao is host to China's first public aquarium, opened in 1932. Today the "Underwater World" consists of four main areas on both sides of the street, and connected underneath the street itself. One highlight is the moving platform that takes visitors in a tunnel through the aquarium itself, one can look all around and see fish from every angle. Also, don't miss the ever-popular mermaid shows. Be aware, however, that during the day and in the summer it will be packed with hoards of noisy children and tourists. A casual stroll will not be possible during these times. Two of the three exhibits do not have air-conditioning. ¥100.  edit

• Polar Ocean World, [7]. An aquarium focusing on polar animals, including polar bears and penguins. Newer and more modern than the Underwater World. It also has a well known beluga whale show. ¥120 per adult.  edit

[edit][add listing] Do

[edit] Beaches

Qingdao has some famous (within China) 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, 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 itself. You can find bathing beaches all along the seaside from the Zhanqiao Pier to the Shilaoren Beach in the eastern suburbs.

• Laoshan Beach (崂山浴场; Láoshān yùchǎng), (Just at the entrance to Laoshan National Park, about a 30 minute drive east of the city limits,). Surrounded by mountains and visited far less often than its alternatives, Laoshan beach is one of the best in town. Make sure to arrange transportation there and back, because taxis are harder to get there.  edit

• Old Stone Man Beach (石老人浴场; Shìlǎorén yùchǎng), Donghai East Road and Haikou Road (东海东路 - 海口路) (Get there by bus 125 or 321). 24 hours. One of the best beaches within easy striking distance of the city. It is cleanish, very long and broad, with the highest waves. Tables, chairs, tents, boats, shower, changing facilities etc. are available for rent. Admission free; Shower and changing is now 10 RMB at the cheapest. In addition, you can store your items in a locker for another 10 RMB + a deposit of 30 RMB..  edit

• Beach #1 (第一海水浴场; Dìyī hǎishuǐ yùchǎng), Nanhai Road (南海路) (CNY15-20 in taxi from the center; busses #6, #15, #26, #31, #202, #206, # 214, #219, #223, #228, #231, #302, #304, #306, #311, #312, #316, #317, #321, #501, #604, #605, #801 stop at near by bus stop Hai Shui Yu Chang (海水浴场; Hǎishuǐ yùchǎng)). 24 hours. Clean and full of amusement for children but often crowded. Very basic shower and changing facilities available. Surrounded by restaurants and hotels. Admission free. ¥5 for shower and changing facilities.  edit

• Beach #2 (第二海水浴场; Dìèr hǎishuǐ yùchǎng), Shanhaiguan Road (山海关路; Shānhǎiguān lù) (CNY10-15 in taxi from the center; buses #26, #31, #202, #206, #214, #223, #228, #231, #304, #316, #317, #321, #501, #604, #801 stop at bus stop Wu Sheng Guan ([chinese; pinyin]) a bit north of the beach). Quiet beach. Entrance CNY2 in summer, else free.  edit

• Beach #3 (City Beach) (第三海水浴场; Dìsān hǎishuǐ yùchǎng). Has a "plastic island" so you can swim far away and have a rest before coming back (but it is sometimes exhausting to swim in the waves).  edit

• Beach #6 (Muscle Beach). Not very clean. ¥5 for very basic shower and changing facilities.  edit

[edit] International Beer Bestival

Qingdao International Beer Festival, held at the end of August every year, is a celebration of Qingdao's brewing heritage. During the daytime, there are official ceremonies that celebrate Qingdao's heritage as well as carnival type rides, food and games. In the evening, the event really picks up as crowds flock to huge tents set up by each beer company with a presence in China. One can sit down and order beer or snacks. The price of food at night during the festival, however, is ridiculous. You cannot find Kebabs for anything less than CNY 10 per stick! One can also watch (or participate in) various performances such as karaoke, concerts, auctions, or comedy. The entertainment itself is tame and bland; 2009s best gig, by far, was a Phillipine cover band imitating Western songs. The International Beer Festival, unfortunately, no longer seems to have much of an international presence save the beer. Much of what you see now can be found at any Chinese carnival, park or civic celebration.

[edit] Other

• Huangdao (黄道). Providing there isn't persistent fog as is often in the area, one can take a ferry from Qingdao port to the neighbouring district of Huangdao. The city has mostly been built in the last 10-15 years and thus is completely devoid of character. That said, there are plenty of Japanese hostess bars, and a few Western drinking holes too, if you get tired of Qingdao's fare. The ferry prices generally range from 15-30RMB one way, but be advised that if the ferries aren't running the taxi fare is 200RMB+ back to Qingdao.  edit

• Seafront walk. Walk along the sea front in the evening from beach 2 back into town to 6.  edit

[edit][add listing] Buy

• Taidong Pedestrian Street (Taidong Buxingjie). The best area for buying stuff. Very "renao" (bustling), especially at night when the peddlers come out and you can buy all manner of trinkets, clothing, household wares, etc. While in Taidong be careful of the Pickpockets.  edit

• Central Hong Kong Rd., (The stretch of Hong Kong Rd. between Fuzhou Rd. and Nanjing Rd.). To provision yourself, head out to this area. Carrefour sells grocery, food, and small electronics. It has a KFC. Jusco is part shopping mall, part grocery store and part department store. MyKal is an eight floor department store with a movie theatre on the top and a grocery store in the basement. Sunshine is a department store across from Carrefour that sells upmarket goods. The Hisense shopping centre located behind Jusco has many luxury goods stores, and a grocery store with possibly the best selection of western foods in Qingdao.  edit

• Jimo Lu market. Do not miss this market, a great place to buy knock off Gucci, Prada, Louis Vitton as well as local retail goods. Recently refurbished and opening new shops across the street in a new plaza, it will soon become one of Qingdao's most popular retail markets.  edit

• Zhong Shan Lu. Recently retrofitted for 2008, still boasts some of the oldest shops in Qingdao.  edit

[edit][add listing] Eat

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Head to Yunxiao Road west of Fuzhou Nan 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 Nan Road (bordering on Qingdao's restaurant district), has several outstanding restaurants. The area is booming with foods from around the world.

[edit] Lucai/Shandong Cuisine

• Shanglinyuan Restaurant (上林苑餐饮), 169 Minjiang Road (闽江路169号), ☎ 86 (532) 8575-6188. Shandong cuisine and seafood.  edit

• Zijing Shandong Restaurant (紫晶鲁菜馆; Zǐjīnglǔcàiguǎn), 48 Minjiang Second Road (闽江二路48号), ☎ 86 (532) 8565-2888, [8]. Shandong cuisine. Claims to be the first restaurant in Qingdao to specialise in Shandong cuisine. Has both traditional dishes and modern ones.  edit

• Haidao Seafood Restaurant (海岛渔村; Hǎidǎoyúcūn), 40 YunXiao Road (云霄路40号), ☎ 86 (532) 8597-3058. Seafood. Expect to pay CNY75-100 each person.  edit

• Yumatou Seafood Restaurant (渔码头; Yúmǎtóu), 24 Yunxiao Road (云霄路24号), ☎ 86 (532) 8573-3583. Seafood.  edit

[edit] Cantonese/Dim Sum

• Old Hong Kong Restaurant (香港老饭店; Xiānggǎng lǎo fàndiàn), 42 Hong Kong Middle Rd. (Just below New York Club in the Hirun Hotel on Hong Kong middle Rd.), ☎ 0532-85978868. Better than average dim sum, clean upmarket atmosphere and decent service. Unfortunately their dim sum menu lacks English, but it's still definitely worth a try. Expect to pay CNY50-75 each person.  edit

• Bifeng Tang (港记避风塘; Gǎngjì bìfēngtáng), 158 Minjiang Road (闽江路24号), ☎ 0532-85776789. until 4.00 in the morning. Hongkong dimsum and seafood. About average of 50RMB per person.  edit

[edit] Hotpot

• Laoshan Pao Hotpot Restaurant (老山炮活鱼锅; Lǎoshānpàohuóyúguō), 20 Yunxiao Road (云宵路20号), ☎ 86 (532) 8578-4444, [9]. Hot pot, seafood.  edit

• Tanyutou Hotpot Restaurant (谭鱼头火锅; Tányútóuhuǒguō), 14 Minjiang Road (闽江路14号), ☎ 86 (532) 8583-9076. Hotpot.  edit

[edit] Sichuan

• Heavenly Palace Old Mama Restaurant (天府老妈; Tiānfǔlǎomā), 54 Yunxiao Road; 云宵路54号, ☎ 0532-85764906. Sichuan cuisine.  edit

• Lao Chuancai (老转村四川菜馆; Lǎo zhuǎncūn sìchuān càiguǎn), 158 Minjiang Rd. (On Minjiang Rd. very near to the intersection with Fuzhou Rd.), ☎ 0532-85772776. Probably one of the biggest and best Sichuan restaurants in Qingdao. This spot is part of a local chain of better than average Chinese restaurants.  edit

[edit] Korean

• Minsu Korean Restaurant (民俗酒家; Mínsújiǔjiā), 68 Shanghang Road; 上杭路68号, ☎ 86 (532) 6677-7308. Korean BBQ.  edit

• Xiaobenjia Korean Restaurant (小本家; Xiǎoběnjiā), 58 Shanghang Road (上杭路58号). Korean BBQ. Reservation is recommended.  edit

[edit] German

• Monnemer Eck's, 173 Jiangxi Rd. (Right on the Jiangxi Rd. Bar strip not far from Charlie's Bar.), ☎ 0532-85921096. The closest thing to real German food in the city.  edit

[edit][add listing] Drink

Tsingtao is China's best-known brand of beer. 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.

Despite being a city of 3.5 million, nightlife is quieter here than in most cities of similar size. KTV (karaoke) is very popular activity amongst the locals. There are a few western style club/discos in the Hong Kong Road area close to the Jusco.

• Le Bang (乐邦), (Technically on Chengyi 1 Rd north of Hong Kong Rd., the official address is 2 Zhangzhou 2 Rd. Gate B. It's on the side street next to SOS), ☎ +86 532 85935279. 6PM to whenever the last paying customer leaves. A good first stop for travellers in the area is , a French expat bar. On Friday and Saturday nights there is an all you can drink ¥50 happy hour from 10PM-11PM. During weekdays there is always some kind of daily drink special. There are often French/continental nights. Drinks start at ¥15 and food starts at ¥25.  edit

• Feelings Club, 83-85 Hong Kong Middle Road (Across the road from Xinjiazhuang bus stop), ☎ +86 532 85932929. 8PM to late. A large dance club that is often the most popular among Chinese, music there is strictly techno. Ladies should watch out as it is not called "Feeling" Club for nothing.  edit

• SOS, 71 Hong Kong Middle Road (A 5 minute stumble west of Feelings Club on HK Road), ☎ +86 532 85969898. 8PM to 2AM. Formerly a part of the Shanghai Babyface chain. Name has changed but still the same Chinese techno loving, glow stick handling and dice rolling crowd, but often not as busy. ¥40 and up.  edit

• Club New York, 41 Hong Kong Middle Road 2nd Floor (Go further west from SOS past Fuzhou Road), ☎ +86 532 85725666. There is a live band almost every night, that plays cover songs. The atmosphere is definitely more western oriented than other places. Drink prices are expensive at ¥40-50, although foreigners planning a lengthy stay are nearly always offered a free VIP card for permanent half price drinks.  edit

• Freeman (自由人), 163 Jiangxi Road (Jiangxi Road near Hong Kong Middle Road), ☎ +86 15853211877. 6PM-2AM. Laid back western style bar, with plenty of different kinds of booze available and good service. ¥20 and up.  edit

• Charlie's Bar, 167 Jiangxi Road (Jiangxi Road near Hong Kong Middle Road), ☎ +86 532 85897919. 6PM-2AM. Very similar to Freeman, but not as big and a slightly weaker selection. ¥20 and up.  edit

[edit][add listing] Sleep

[edit] Budget

• YHA Old Observatory. Qingdao Observatory, the first observatory in China, is a great location for this youth hostel, which is situated on Mt. Observatory in the heart of Qingdao. It is a hidden gem from which to explore China’s most well-known coastal city.  edit

• Qingdao Kaiyue International Youth Hostel. Quiet but large and very nice hostel in the old town near the train station and the Catholic church. Good place to meet other foreigners.  edit

• The Beach House, 5 Wendang Lu. The Beach House bills itself as a "youth hostel," but its really more of a hotel. Still, the prices for a room are very reasonable. The Becah House is right by bathing beach #1 and the views can be pretty good. The Pearl S. Buck Cafe, on the bottom floor of the hotel, has outrageous prices. Its best to look elsewhere for food, lest you enjoy being gouged 25 RMB for half a bowl of oatmeal, yoghurt and a lousy banana.  edit

[edit] Mid range

• TOP YiHe International Serviced Apartments, 10 XiangGang Middle Road, ☎ (0532) 8866 4432. Comparable to most 4-star hotels in Qingdao at a much cheaper rate, has an excellent staff, Bird's Eye View of the Olympic Marina & May 4th Square. Free daily "western style breakfast", free local calls, free broadband internet with 42" plasma HDTV screen & cable TV, business center, conference rooms, 10 minute walk to all major shopping centers and restaurants.  edit

[edit] Splurge

• Crowne Plaza Qingdao, 76 XiangGang Middle Road, ☎ (0532) 8571 8888 (fax: (0532) 8571 6666), [10]. The city's busiest international hotel with 388 rooms, great location and facilities, including Brazilian BBQ and a pastry counter. It's also near the 2008 Olympics sailing sites.  edit

• Grand Regency Hotel Qingdao, 110 XiangGang Middle Road, ☎ (0532) 8588 1818 (fax: (0532) 8588 1888), [11]. The first 5-star hotel in Qingdao, it has excellent staff, billiard rooms, health club, squash courts, swimming pool, tennis courts, and a bowling alley. 393 rooms.  edit

• Latour Laguens (Qingdao), 316 Hong Kong Rd, ☎ (0532) 8896 6969 ext. 8000 (fax: (0532) 66717399), [12]. Member of the small luxury hotels organization, Seaside resort hotel with an amazing ocean view, excellent service, vast selection of fine wines, comfortable high class atmosphere, very large personalized rooms with in-room sauna and spa, fantastic food selection, free pick up from the airport, and free breakfast.  edit

• Sea View Garden Hotel, 2 ZhangHua Road, ☎ (0532) 8587 5777. Offers excellent ocean side view, spa, tennis, KTV, bar, and close to shopping centres.  edit

• ZhanQiao Hotel, 31 TaiPing Road, ☎ (0532) 8288 8666. 4/5 Star hotel with excellent location right on the water front. Prices start at ¥600 and are more for ocean views. Discounts available during the winter months..  edit

• Copthorne Hotel Qingdao, 28 Hong Kong Middle Road, Qingdao 266071, ☎ (0532) 8572 1688, [13]. Copthorne Hotel Qingdao is an international deluxe hotel situated in the heart of the city and central business district. This contemporary 455-rooms-and-suite hotel provides an array of facilities and impeccable service to both the business and leisure travellers. The hotel offers a variety of dining experiences including an award-winning Chinese Restaurant, Central Grill which serves international cuisine for casual all-day dining, a spectacular Lobby Lounge and a Japanese Restaurant.  edit

[edit] 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.

[edit] Contact

[edit] Get out

[edit] Laoshan

Located a 30 min. bus ride east of downtown, these mountains complete with Dao temple is a must see for the Qingdao area. Often credited with being one of the temples that gave birth to the Dao way of thought, the Laoshan temple is tucked just between the mountains and beach. You can wander the temples or take one of the many paths winding up and around the mountains to enjoy the view, see waterfalls or listen to the tales of the ancient snake and other phenomena that haunt the Laoshan area.

Bus 304 can be used when travel to Laoshan from Qingdao. The bus can be boarded at the train station close to the west side of beach no. 6.

Bus 304 will not take you all the way to Laoshan. The bus trip from the train station to the terminal bus stop will cost about 10 Y. A taxi from the terminal bus stop to Laoshan costs about 20 Y. Unfortunately it's not easy to find an available taxi at the terminal bus stop. A good piece of advice is to start walking towards Laoshan and grab an empty taxi on the way. The actual distance from the end stop to Laoshan is too far to walk. The entrance fee for Laoshan is 70 Y. It's also a good idea to book a taxi before hand for the return journey.

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