Qingdao, a beautiful seaside city, is located in the southeast part of Shandong Province. To the east, a short distance across the Yellow Sea, lie Korea and Japan, making Qingdao an important city for international trade.

History

Qingdao was little more than a fishing village in a scenic bay before the end of the 19th century. By 1891, the Manchu Qing Dynasty had decided to exploit the bays strategic position and turn it into a naval base, but the tragic farce of the Boxer Rebellion unleashed a series of events that would deliver Qingdao to the Germans, eager for a stake in East Asia.

The Boxers consisted of Chinese whod had enough of seeing their country pushed around by European colonial powers while the Qing leadership seemed to stand by helplessly. The Empress Dowager Cixi, who held power in Beijing while her young imperial ward stood in as figurehead, cynically attempted to redirect the Boxers anger at the Qing toward foreigners.

It worked for a short while, and the Boxers attacked and killed a number of foreigners, as well as foreign-influenced Chinese (for example, Christian converts) before the vastly superior militaries of England, France, Germany and the United States came into play. After besieging the foreighn legation in Beijing in 1900, the Boxers were crushed by an international force and Cixi had to flee Beijing in disguise.

By that time, Qingdao had already fallen under German domination, thanks to Kaiser Wilhelm IIs exploitation of the murder of two German missionaries in 1897. Germany easily forced the hapless Qing Dynasty to grant a 99-year lease to Qingdao, and they immediately moved in and started building (and brewing beer).

Germany had big plans in East Asia, but the onset of World War I sank those hopes. The ambitious Japanese took advantage of the outbreak of war in Europe to seize Qingdao in 1914, getting an assist from Great Britain, which was only too happy to damage the Kaiser in any way possible. After the war ended, China suffered yet another humiliation at the hands of the Great Powers of the time, as the Treaty of Versailles granted Japan continued rule of the former German colonial outpost.

This lead to another popular outcry from the Chinese, with the "May Fourth Movement" protests in Beijing stirring nationalist pride and anti-foreign feeling. Many see this period as setting the stage for the eventual triumph of the Chinese communists who, at that time, were beginning to organize. Qingdao did, return to China in 1922, only to be invaded by the Japanese in 1938 and held for the duration of the Sino-Japanese War.

The city has since weathered the turbulent times surrounding the establishment of the PRC and the Cultural Revolution and emerged as Chinas fourth largest port and the center of the Shandong Pinensulas booming economy while retaining the charm of a seaside resort with a unique architectural heritage. Spend a few days in Qingdao, and its easy to see why it was chosen as one of Chinas Olympic cities.

Geography and climate

Qingdao is located at the southern tip of the Shandong PeninsulaShandong Peninsula The Shandong Peninsula is a peninsula in the Shandong province of eastern China. It borders three prefecture-level cities, namely YantaiYantai Yantai is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Shandong province, Peoples Republic of China.... to the northeast, WeifangWeifang Weifang is a prefecture-level city in central Shandong province, Peoples Republic of China to the west, and RizhaoRizhao Rizhao is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Shandong province, Peoples Republic of China to the southwest. The citys total jurisdiction area occupies 10,654km². The geography of the city is relatively flat while mountains spur up nearby. The highest elevation in the area is 1133m above sea level. 15.5% of the total area is highland, while the foothill, plain and lowland areas constitute 25.1%, 37.8% and 21.7%. The city has a 730.64-kilometre coastline. Five significant rivers that flow for more than 50km can be found in the region.

Qingdao has a warm temperate zone monsoon climate, with the characteristics of a marine climate, such as moist air, abundant rainfall and four distinct seasons. Winter is cold, snowy and windy, with temperatures hovering around freezing. Summer is warm to hot, but very hot days are rare. Due to its proximity to the coast and being on a peninsula, it experiences a one-month late spring compared to most of central China. Conversely, autumn is much milder than inland areas. The water temperature peaks at about 25C (77F) in late August, with swimming possible two months on either side.

Economy

GDPGross domestic product A regions gross domestic product, or GDP, is one of the several measures of the size of its economy....per capita comprised RMB¥Renminbi The renminbi or the yuan is the official currency in the mainland of the Peoples Republic of China49,954.75 (ca. US$7,136.39) in 2007. The GDP has grown steadily at an average pace of 16% annually. Qingdao is perhaps most famously known for the Tsingtao BreweryTsingtao Brewery Tsingtao Breweryis Chinas largest brewery which German settlers founded in 1903, and which produces Tsingtao beer, now the most famous beer in China and known worldwide. It is also home to HaierFacts About Haier Haier is a producer of household appliances, including air conditioners, laptops, refrigerators, etc,

Tourist Attractions:

Laoshan Mountain is located on the shore of the Yellow sea. The highest peak of Laoshan Mountain is 1133 meters. Overlooking the sea, the mountain is characterized by the imposing canyon and undulating peaks and mystery mist.

Qingdao International Beer Town - Qingdao International Beer Town is the largest international beer metropolis in Asia. It covers an area of 35 hectares and has two functional parts. the south part is for entertainment and the north section is a synthesis one.

First Bathing Beach - The first bathing beach is located around Huiquan Bend The beach stretches 580 meters or so long with a width of about 40 meters . The first bathing beach is surrounded  by mountains on three sides.

Related Tours:   Qingdao Tour 4 Days