Editor's remarks: If you're looking for a relaxing weekend where you can clear your head and get away from the busy capital, Qingdao is just a five hour train ride away.
Day 1: First Activity
Start the morning off with a visit to the Qingdao Beer Museum and learn about the history of the Tsingtao Brewery company and the German influence behind it. The museum is prized by locals as it is the first of its kind in China. It was built by the Germans in 1903, which is reflected in the architecture and equipment. A bus fare to the museum from wherever you are costs just 1-3 yuan, and the museum shouldn't take more than an hour and a half to visit.
May Forth Square in Qingdao. |
Second Activity
Anyone who visits Qingdao should get a photo with The Winds of May, a unique, frequently visited red sculpture in the May Fourth Square. Across the street is Fushan Bay where you can find vendors selling kites and artists singing on the boardwalk. The history behind May Fourth Square dates back to 1919, when a mass student demonstration took place in an effort to stop the signing of a treaty that would allow Japan to take over territories in Shandong (the province in which Qingdao is located).
Olympic Sailing Center of 2008. |
Third Activity
Just across the water from May Fourth Square is the Qingdao International Sailing Center. In 2008, the Beijing Summer Olympics' sailing competitions was held at the center, just a ten minute walk from Fushan Bay! With the tourism increasing since the 2008 Olympic Games, this is one of the coastal city's main attractions!