It's not often church bells tell the time in Chinese cities. But then Qingdao, both a seaside resort and China's fourth largest port, flaunts the country's urban rules. Sixteen years of German authority starting in 1898, has left bizarre juxtapositions of Bavarian architecture and modern shop fronts and of course the Tsingtao brewery.
Antithesis is everywhere. Yellow buildings with green spires house restaurants advertising: "Fish with Chinese sauerkraut." A Chinese flag flies next to the clock tower of St Michael's Catholic Church. Red lanterns hang in the arches of the imposing facade of the former German governor's residence. A 30-minute taxi drive east of the old town marks a return to modern China and the new city business district has the unmistakable gleam of Olympic investment Qingdao is the venue for the sailing events in 2008.
But generally speaking, the tourist herds are not here to marvel at cultural opposites. They are here for the sand and seafront strolls and, to the foreign observer, the beach etiquette is a source of fascination. Men sunbathe in suits and women use newspapers, tents and umbrellas to protect themselves from the round yellow villain in the sky. A white belly is as conspicuous as a boiler suit on a nudist beach.
Imaginatively named Beach No 2 is smaller and quieter than Beach No 1 as it is further from the centre of the old town. The backdrop is typically unexpected. To the right, is a new office tower; to the left is a German castle. A soupy swimming area and the honks of passing tankers do not inspire the donning of Speedos and it is mainly used for rowing boats normally found on a placid park lake. Not that this puts off glamorous newly-weds. The beach is the scene of painstaking photo shoots in which brides in full western gear pout while hoping their makeup doesn't melt. The marriage catwalk continues through the Eight Passes Area, inland from the beach, which boasts supermodel streets of pink and white cherry blossom. It is easy to find quiet lanes away from the camera click on the way back to the old town.
Beer is an important part of Qingdao life and every corner shop is under its influence. Kegs of Tsingtao and a couple of stools offer passers-by a pint of refreshment. But it seems a take-away is more popular and Qingdao is the only place in the world I have seen beer being sold in plastic bags for one yuan (US$0.12).
The brewery is well worth a look around mainly for free tastings of the black stout although it is interesting to read how beer can play a major role in the creation of a harmonious society. A trip to an English-style pub on Saturday night might persuade the exhibition organizers otherwise. Given the abundance of alcohol, nightlife is virtually non-existent in the old town. But the Freeman caf on Hubei Lu looks like it has been plucked from a hutong in Houhai and is the place to relax. The new part of the city to the east, offers a lot more options and appears to be the home of table football in China. There are tables at the Corner Jazz Club (153 Minjiang Lu), which is a favorite with foreign students, and at the Lennon Bar (20 Zhuhai Lu), which is a two-floor shrine to the Beatles.
The choice of seafood restaurants borders on the ridiculous. Rows of small eateries near the seafront display their fresh wares in tanks and buckets and a typical meal might start with the owner catching your chosen fish and killing it with a sharp thwack on the pavement. In the evening, head to the right of the pier at Beach No 6 for the night market as pretty much anything that can be found in the sea is covered in chilli and slapped on the grill. If fish of the dried variety is more your thing then head to the main street of Zhongshan Lu you can smell how many shops there are from the parallel street.
Summer weekends in Qingdao are packed but if you wander away from the seafront there is a village atmosphere in the streets leading off from Daxue Lu. If you can find it, Guanhaishan Park, to the east of Anhui Lu, is a quiet retreat on top of a small hill with great views over the old town and out to sea. Further east is Xinhaoshan Park (Signal Hill Park), which is remarkable for the sight of the spaceship-like building on its summit called the mogulou (mushroom buildings). You can make out the navy museum in the distance down by the water. It is well worth a visit if you have never been inside an old Russian submarine.
Getting there: return air tickets from Beijing to Qingdao are around 1,200 yuan (US$150) at this time of year, and affords a glimpse at the shiny new airport outside the city. Taxi fares should be under 100 yuan (US$18.75) from the airport to the city and the bus is 15 yuan (US$1.88). Trains take 12 hours and cost around 150 yuan (US$18.8).
Accommodation: Zhanqiao Hotel (31 Taiping Lu, 2870502) used to be the best in town but now it is falling from grace. Which is great given its prime location next to the pier and prices of 200 yuan (US$25) for a double room. For a cheaper option, try Zhanying Hotel (11 Mengyin Lu, 2961980), which is very basic but incredibly friendly and has rooms for around a negotiable 100 yuan (US$25). There are swanky hotels in the commercial district but shunning the old town would defeat the object of coming to Qingdao.
Don't Miss:
Tsingtao Brewery on 56 Dengzhou Lu (56) has tours in English and Chinese but the main event is the international beer festival, a no-holds barred gan bei epic held in August every year.
St Michael's Catholic Church, 15 Zhejiang Lu, sits on top of a steep hill off Zhongshan Lu. Badly damaged in the "cultural revolution" (1966-76), it has been restored but is more impressive from the outside given the kitsch interior houses relics such as inflatable palm trees.
The Naval Museum, on the seafront off Laiyang Lu, charges a mere 25 yuan (US$3.13) to explore an impressive collection of fighter planes along with a submarine and a couple of warships.
(China Daily July 7, 2006)
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