Explore Shandong(4)—China's Sailing City

In the last episode, we took a cultural tour of Confucius' hometown in Shandong Province, which is one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization. But alongside its collection of ancient historical sites, Shandong is also a popular destination of tourists thanks to its more recent history.

In today's program, we will take you to visit one of the most attractive cities in the province, Qingdao, and explain why it makes a good choice if you're looking for a place to take a beach-side holiday.

Facing the Yellow Sea, Qingdao, meaning "Green Island", is a popular destination for both domestic and international travelers. It's a city known for its attractive coastline, its European architecture, and its opportunities for sailing, alongside the Tsingtao brewery and its distinctive local cuisine.

Trestle Pier, or Zhanqiao in Chinese, is a local icon almost as old as the city itself. Jutting into the Yellow Sea, it was built in 1892. From the pier you get a great view of the Qingdao cityscape. And at the end of the pier, you'll encounter the Huilange,a Chinese-style pagoda that is a city landmark.

Not far from Trestle Pier is Badaguan, the Eight Great Passes, which is also known as a "Museum of the World's Architecture".

Located near the coastline, Badaguan occupies more than 700,000 square meters, and features villas with designs from more than 20 countries including Britain, France, Russia, Japan, and Denmark. Connected by small leafy lane ways, many of these villas are considered representatives of classic architectural designs.

Hua Shi Villa is one example. The 750 square meter, five story, Gothic-style building was built by a Russian owner. From the top floor, it provides a terrific view of the sea.

Another renowned example is Princess Villa, a dreamlike building constructed in 1929 by a Danish prince. The prince was fascinated by the picturesque city, and built the house as a gift for a princess. The princess never came, but the villa remains as a good example of the Danish architectural style.

Not far from Badaguan is the coast road, which gives you a view of Qingdao's golden sand beaches and the crystal clear water, where you'll usually spot people sailing.

Dubbed "China's Sailing City", Qingdao has attracted tens of thousands of international tourists for sailing tours.

Qingdao's Olympic Sailing Center was originally constructed for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, but has since played host to many international sailing events, such as those held during the annual Qingdao International Sailing Week and Olympic International Marine Festival.

After a decade-long transformation, the center has taken on a new lease on life thanks to the growing popularity of yachting and sailing following the 2008 Olympic Regatta.

Every summer, people flock to the city, not just for the sailing, but also for the annual International Beer Festival, which is a celebration of the city's brewing heritage.

Hailed as Asia's own Oktoberfest, the Qingdao International Beer Festival has become the largest festival of its kind in Asia, and one of China's biggest tourism events.

Since its beginnings back in 1991, the carnival-like celebrations begin in August with an opening concert and welcoming ceremony, which is followed by beer tasting, music performances, and cultural parades, as well as beer drinking competitions and trade show.

Generally the festival lasts for two weeks, but this year, it continued for more than one month, gathering almost 200 beer brands from more than 30 countries, and more than 1,300 types of beer were on offer.

If you like the taste of Tsingtao beer, you can also visit the Qingdao Beer Museum, which is located on the old site of the Tsingtao Brewery Company. At the beer museum, you can learn about the one-hundred-year-old brand and, of course, taste some of the products.

In additional to beer, Qingdao is famous for its local food culture. Shandong cuisine is known for its rich seafood dishes, and for presenting food with a strong emphasis on soy sauce, shallots, and garlic. Of course, other various Chinese cuisines are also available in the city.

In the evening, you can easily relax and unwind at one of the city's many seafood restaurants that are along the shore. There, you can order a bottle of Tsingtao beer, try the fresh local seafood, and enjoy the beautiful sunsets and gentle sea breeze while you relax and enjoy the sound of the ocean.