Qingdao
ChinaCfa
© OpenStreetMap, CARTO
青山绿水 | Green mountains and clear waters
Why visit
Qingdao is the most relaxed, walkable, and visually distinctive of China's big coastal cities. Wander the German Old Town's Zhongshan Road and Badaguan villa district under canopies of plane trees. Tour the original Tsingtao Brewery and drink unfiltered beer from the source. Climb to the Catholic St. Michael's Cathedral. And scale the granite peaks of Laoshan, the Taoist holy mountain just east. The annual International Beer Festival in August fills the city with beer tents and live music. The bathing beaches (No. 1 and No. 6) are clean and shallow.
When to avoid
Summer Beer Festival crowds and prices are intense, reserve well ahead. Petty crime around the train station and Pier No. 1 area is common. Air quality has improved but can still be poor on inversion days. Ferry to South Korea is convenient but check current visa rules. The Yellow Sea has a notorious annual algae (sea lettuce) bloom in late summer that can blanket beaches in green slime. Skip beach days during 'lvchao' periods. Don't expect English fluency outside hotels.