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Qingdao: Coastal jewel

31 Aug 2014 by Tamsin Cocks
Qingdao’s birth dates back to 1891, when the port was called Jiao’ao and Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty decided to establish a fortress to prevent naval attacks. This did not stop the Germans, however, who colonised it at the end of 1897, and at which point it became the dominant power in Shandong Province. Japan seized control of Qingdao in World War I, but after the war ended local resistance against foreign occupation fomented and at the end of 1922, China took back administration of the city, renaming it Qingdao in 1930. It fell into Japan’s hands again in 1938, but was returned to China in September of 1945 at the instigation of the United States. In 1949, the Communists took the city and put it under the administration of Shandong Province. In 1984, Qingdao was designated as one of the 14 coastal cities open to foreign trade. According to qingdao.gov.cn, Qingdao has a total area of 10,654 sq km, with 1,159 sq km of it being considered urban. The city has a permanent population of morethan 8.45 million, with almost 3.5 million of them categorised as urban residents. The development of Qingdao has always been around its port and, not surprisingly, logistics is one of the major industries. Internationally, it is perhaps best known for being the venue of the sailing competitions for the 2008 Olympics, and its annual beer festival that usually begins on the second weekend of August. Its proximity to South Korea also means that Asia’s fourth largest economy plays an important role in fuelling the city’s growth. Samsung, Hyundai and LG all have investments here. As a result, the largest ethnic minority in this Shandong metropolis is Korean, with a 2012 census putting the figure at 40,015. Qingdao has abundant natural resources, with untapped minerals estimated by the government to be worth RMB27 billion (US$4.4 billion). First impressions The usual entry route to Qingdao is through Liuting International Airport, in the northernmost district of Chengyang. Opened in 1982, the facility is relatively small, with 14 aerobridges, 44 bays and a terminal floor area of some 12,000 sqm. It is designed to accommodate 12 million passengers per year. While nothing to write home about, the airport is clean, brightly lit and with clear signage. It has flights to 50 cities on the mainland as well as eight international destinations such as Seoul, Tokyo and Hong Kong. At the time of my arrival, the airport did not feel particular busy, and immigration as well as bag pick-up was smooth. In summer daytime temperatures could get up to around 30 °C, but it often cools down to pleasant ambient temperatures at night. Seasons are very distinct in Qingdao, with hot and humid summers and chilly and dry winters. January is the coldest, with an average temperature of -0.5 °C. Qingdao is linked to Beijing and Shanghai by high-speed rail, with journey times, respectively, being less than five hours and about six-and-a-half hours. The train station in the old town is a German colonial building completed in 1901, but the facility has gone through several upgrades, including a major one in 2008 to cope with increased traffic during the Olympics. Orientation Greater Qingdao consists of six districts (called qu) – Shinan, Shibei, Huangdao, Laoshan, Licang and Chengyang – and all but one encircle Jiaozhou Bay. The municipality also administers four developing cities further north, namely Jiaozhou, Jimo, Pingdu and Laixi. To the east the city looks out on the East China Sea towards South Korea. Shinan is the smallest but most developed area of the city, and it’s where you are likely to spend most of your time. Its southern zigzag-shaped coastline offers many beaches and parks, while green hills dot the inland area. In fact, over 17 per cent of the city’s land is mountains and hills. Located in the middle the waterfront is Badaguan (or "the eight great passes" in Chinese), which looks out on Taiping Bay. This area was built by the Germans in the late 19th to the early 20th century as a residential area, and many of the European-style mansions remain. Further north from here is Taiping Mountain, a green elevation that reaches 150 metres above sea level and is home to Zhongshan Park. To the west of Taiping Bay are Huiquan Bay and Qingdao Bay, divided by a peninsula that is home to public green spaces and the Naval Museum. Head inland to the north and you will reach the commercial centre of old Qingdao, around the Zhejiang Road-Qufu Road area. The modern central business district of Qingdao, however, has moved to the east of Badaguan, with Xianggang Road (divided into West, Middle and East sections) as its main vein, reaching all the way to the southwest part of Laoshan District, before the Laoshan Scenic Area Tourism Special Road picks it up to stretch into the vast countryside and mountainous areas that rise up to almost 1,133 metres above sea level. Continue on north from the old city centre and you will reach Shibei, home to Qingdao Port, and Licang District, venue of the on-going International Horticultural Exposition. To the east of Jiaozhou Bay is the largest district of Huangdao, which was recently designated as a free trade zone called Qingdao Coast West Area. With its stunning natural scenery it is an ideal place for meeting groups. Huangdao is connected to Shinan by Jiaozhouwan Tunnel.   Where to stay Hyatt Regency Qingdao Located right by the popular Shi Lao Ren beach, this hotel offers easy access to the International Exhibition Centre and has 439 elegant guestrooms, including 25 suites. The Chairman and Presidential Suites offer personalised services, as well as outdoor terraces. Four restaurants and lounges include Bay Lounge and Dong Hai 88 with outdoor seating. The 2,000 sqm of meeting and event space offers ample natural light during the day. The location is slightly out of the way, but if traffic is smooth, it’s a 15 to 20-minute ride to the CBD. qingdao.regency.hyatt.com The Westin Qingdao Opened this year, across the street from the Shangri-La, this hotel has 321 units – with 108 of them being suites – and over 2,000 sqm of function space. All the signature Westin facilities are here, including the Heavenly Spa and Westin Workout rooms that come with their own treadmills or stationary bikes, dumbbells, fitness DVDs, resistance bands and stability balls. In-house restaurants and lounges are Five Sen5es fine-dining Chinese restaurant, international dining and buffet outlet Seasonal Tastes and Tea Bar, as well as Poolside Bar, Lobby Lounge and Deli. starwoodhotels.com   Where to eat Beer Street (Dengzhou Road) Around Tsingtao Beer Museum (see below) in Shibei, there is an endless selection of restaurants to choose from, mostly offering seafood dishes and, of course, lots of beer. Many of the outlets here have outdoor tables and before the weather gets too cold it is rather nice to sit outside and soak in the ambiance. Prices vary from one place to another, but US$20 could get you a feast. Prices are clearly marked (albeit mostly in Chinese) and at the time of my visit, one of the stalls offered a catty (0.5kg) of clams (served steamed) for RMB26 (US$4) and the same measurement of sea whelks (to be cooked in a chilli sauce) for RMB58 (US$9). Exotic offerings can sometimes be found: I sampled steamed starfish (RMB10/US$1.60 each), which one cuts open to get the soft flesh inside, and it tasted curiously like sea urchin. No. 1 Zhongshan Lu This colonial building, built 1910, was once a clubhouse of the German military, and it is now a restaurant serving Chinese and German dishes. We tried the seafood cooked in bean curd (RMB58/US$9) and something listed as “Qingdao four cylind” (RMB78/US$13), which turned out to be a platter of four traditional dishes eaten with sliced steamed buns. The selection was seasoned slices of fried fish, seaweed in a vinegar and sesame dressing, a pudding made with tofu and fish meat, and braised pork belly. The food was nothing to write home about, but it’s really the ambiance that you should come here for. Much of the original dark-wood décor has been preserved, and there are many private rooms on both floors that truly feel like old Qingdao. German dishes listed include “Germanshaxe” (pig’s trotter) with sauerkraut (RMB188/US$30) and assorted German sausages (RMB168/US$27). Open daily 11.30am-2pm; 5.30pm-9pm; 1 Zhongshan Road, Shinan, tel +86 186 5320 6570 [email protected] Korean BBQ Along Shanghang Road in Shinan, there are many rather sophisticated looking restaurants to try out. We were recommended to go to this Korean restaurant, and it was really pleasant. Apart from the egg pancake with seafood and scallion (RMB30/US$5), which was a little bland, all the other dishes we ordered such as pork belly (RMB28/US$4.50, for self-service barbecue) and cold (buckwheat) noodles (served with meat, vegetables and a boiled egg in a vinegary broth, RMB18/US3) were very satisfying. The place might be a bit hard to find as there is no English signage, but the business card we received promises English-speaking staff, so you can call for directions. Open daily 9am-10pm;66 Shanghang Road, Shinan, tel +86 532 8593 7274 or +86 15066170097.   What to do Tsingtao Museum Qingdao has a host of museums but locals named only this one as a must. Part of the beer production line still exists. The Germans and British founded the brewery in 1903 and it was later sold to Dai-Nippon Brewery of Japan. After a brief period of private ownership, it was nationalised by the Communist government in 1949 and became a listed company in 1993. The exhibition is split between two buildings and it is full of interactive displays, as well as holography animations. In one part, an old brewer is seen tasting the product, and he suddenly turns around to splash beer at the guests while a machine sprays out mist to create an illusion. Visitors can watch the beer being bottled and packaged, as well as tasting the brew at two beer halls. Admission RMB60 (US$10). Open from July-September at 8am-6pm, the rest of the year 8.30am-5.30pm. 56 Dengzhou Road, tel +86 532 8383 3437. Although business travellers to the city are more likely to be conducting meetings in the new CBD area, a walk in the old town is not to be missed. Many colonial buildings are still intact around Zhejiang Road Catholic Church (15 Zhejiang Road, formerly known as St Michael’s Cathedral) and some are used for commercial ends while others are just residences. The beauty of this area resides in the fact that none of the old structures have been overly restored and so much of the original flavour is still there. On one side of the cathedral, we discovered 1899 Photographic Studio and Bar, which looks like a quaint European household. Open daily from 10am to 7pm, a Tsingtao beer costs RMB20 (US$3) and coffee is from RMB15 (US$2.50). Find the intersection of Zhejiang and Qufu Roads on the south side of the cathedral, walk westward to find Anhui Road and continue until you see Huangdao Road, and you will get to experience another side of old Qingdao – the traditional Chinese neighbourhood. In the early 20th century, while colonists and the affluent lived in spacious mansions, lower-income residents shared crowded quarters in these blocks. What has emerged is a vibrant market full of “beer houses” and hawkers. A catty of oysters are sold for as little as RMB5-15 (US$0.80-US$2.40) and you can take them to one of the beer halls for preparation. The seafood is live, although the water in which it is kept looks murky – try it at your own risk.   Where to unwind Unlike bigger cities such as Shanghai and Guangzhou, Qingdao’s nightlife is rather tame. But on Jiangxi Road, in Shinan, there is a cluster of bars that would not look out of place if they were dropped into Singapore or Hong Kong. One of them, Charlie's, is a sports bar where you can watch broadcast matches while enjoying cheap drinks (cocktails at RMB35/US$6) and shisha water pipe (RMB60/US$10). Open daily 6pm-3.30am; 167 JiangXi Road, Shinan; tel +86 (532) 8589-7919.
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