Qingdao

Human settlement in the area dates back 6,000 years. The Dongyi nationality, one of the important origins of the Chinese nation, lived here and created the Dawenkou, Longshan and Dongyeshi cultures. In the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770 B.C. – 256 B.C.), the town of Jimo was established, which was then the second-largest one in the Shandong region. The area in which Qingdao is located today was named Jiao'ao (胶澳) when it was administered by the Qing Dynasty on 14 June 1891.

Sketch map of Tsingtao, circa 1906

Main gate of former Chinese munitions depot, taken over by the Imperial German Navy, Kiautschou Bay, Shandong peninsula, 1898

In 1891, the Qing Empire decided to make coastal Tsingtao (then known as "Jiao'ao") a defense base against naval attacks and began to improve its fortifications. Imperial German naval officials observed and reported on this activity during a formal survey of Jiaozhou Bay in May 1897. Subsequently, German troops seized and occupied the fortification.[14] The preindustrial, waning Qing Empire was forced to concede the area to Germany the following year, and the Kiautschou Bay concession, as it became known, existed from 1898 to 1914 (Li 2005, p. 81). With an area of 552 km² (136,000 acres; 213 sq mi), it was located in the imperial province of Shandong (alternately romanized as Shantung or Shan-tung) on the southern coast of the Shandong Peninsula in northern China. Jiaozhou was alternatively romanized as Kiaochow, Kiauchau, or Kiao-Chau in English, and Kiautschou in German; Qingdao was its administrative center. "The so-called Marktstrasse (Market Street) was nothing more than the old main street of the Chinese village of Tsingtao, and the buildings lining it were the former homes of fishermen and farmers. Having sold their property, they resettled their homes and fields in the villages further east."[15] Upon gaining control of the area, the Germans outfitted the impoverished fishing village of Tsingtao (Qingdao) with wide streets, solid housing areas, government buildings, electrification throughout, a sewer system and a safe drinking water supply, a rarity in large parts of Asia at that time and later.[16] The area had the highest school density and the highest per capita student enrollment in all of China, with primary, secondary and vocational schools funded by the Imperial German treasury and Protestant and Roman Catholic missions.[16] Commercial interests established the Germania Brewery in 1903, which later became the world-famous Tsingtao Brewery.[17] German cultural and commercial influences extended to other areas of Shandong Province, including the establishment of diverse commercial enterprises.

Identified by the German authorities as a strategically important port, Qingdao was administered by the Imperial Department of the Navy (Reichsmarineamt) rather than the Imperial Colonial Office (Reichskolonialamt). The growing Imperial German Navy based their Far East Squadron there, allowing the warships to conduct operations throughout the western Pacific. Beginning January 1898, the marines of III. Seebataillon were based at Tsingtao. Construction of the Jiaoji Railway began on 23 September 1899, and was completed in 1904.[18]

Japanese military currency

• Siege of Tsingtao
• 10 sen (1914)

Before the outbreak of World War I (1914–1918), ships of the German naval forces under Admiral Count von Spee were located at central Pacific colonies on routine missions. The fleet then rendezvoused in the Marianas Islands to plan a transit back to Germany rather than be trapped in the Pacific by more powerful and numerous Allied fleets (British and Japanese).[note 1]

After a minor British naval attack on the German concession in Shandong (Kiautschou Bay concession) in 1914, Japanese Empire troops occupied the city and the surrounding province during the Siege of Tsingtao after Japan's declaration of war on Germany in accordance with the Anglo-Japanese Alliance.[19] China protested against Japan's violation of her neutrality but was not able to interfere in the military operations.[20] The decision of the Paris Peace Conference and the Versailles Treaty negotiations not to restore Chinese rule over the previous foreign concessions in Qingdao after the Great War triggered the May Fourth Movement (4 May 1919) of anti-imperialism, nationalism and cultural identity in China.[21]

Map of Qingdao in 1912

The city came under Chinese rule in December 1922, under control of the Republic of China (R.O.C.) established 1912 after the Chinese Revolution the year before. However, Japan maintained its economic dominance of the railway and the province as a whole.[22] The city became a direct-controlled municipality of the ROC Government in July 1929.

Japan re-occupied Qingdao in 1938, a year after it expanded the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945), (a precursor to World War II, 1939–1945) with its plans of territorial expansion into China's coast. Nationalist (Kuomintang) ROC forces returned after the Japanese surrender in September 1945. On 2 June 1949, during the Chinese Civil War and shortly before the founding of the communist People’s Republic of China on 1 October 1949 the city was taken by Chairman Mao Zedong and his troops.

The development of the Tsingtao urban space during the German occupation (1898–1914) originated from the port. Mass urban construction began in 1898 with the relocation of Chinese dwellers along the coast.[23] With the completion of such series of mass construction projects such as wharves, the Tsingtao-Jinan Railway Line, Tsingtao Railway Station and locomotive works, a city was starting to take shape.[24] The area had the highest school density and highest per capita student enrollment in all of China, with primary, secondary and vocational schools funded by the Berlin treasury as well as Protestant and Roman Catholic missions.[25] In 1910, the Germans drew up for the second time the city planning of Tsingtao (Warner 2001, p. 33). The former urban area was extended four times highlighted by the emphasis on the development of commerce and trade. Sun Yat-sen (1866–1925), leader of the Chinese Revolution of 1911 and subsequently first president of the Republic of China, visited the Tsingtau area and stated in 1912, "I am impressed. The city is a true model for China's future".[26]

The development of Tsingtao urban space continued during the first Japan-occupation period (1914–1922). In 1914, Tsingtao was taken over by the Japanese and served as a base for the exploitation of natural resources of Shandong and northern China. With the development of industry and commerce, a "New City District" was established to furnish the Japanese colonists with commercial sections and living quarters, which suggested a striking contrast to the shabby houses in the local Chinese zones (Li 2007, p. 133). In the meantime, several schools, hospitals, and public buildings were constructed, followed by urban streets and intercity highways as well. The urban spatial layout continued to expand northward along the east bay area.

The development of Tsingtao urban space during the ROC-ruled period (1922–1938). This period saw the substantial progress of the urban development of Tsingtao. The government engaged itself in mass construction that gave birth to villa districts at the beach and bank groups in CBD. Plenty of public buildings and facilities for entertainment and sports were completed. By the year 1937, the urban population numbered 385,000(Lu 2001, p. 327). Tsingtao consequently distinguished itself as a prominent holiday resort and summer retreat.

The development of Tsingtao urban space during the second Japan-occupied period (1938–1945). Japanese armed forces returned to Tsingtao in 1938 and started to strive for the construction of the Greater Tsingtao in the following June. Accordingly, they worked out the city planning of the Greater Tsingtao and the City Planning of the Mother Town (Tsingtao City Proper), even though they had not had the opportunity to actualize either, respectively. The period in question did not witness much urban progress except for the logical construction of No. 6 Wharf, some Japanese residences, and a small number of roads and streets (Lu 2001, p. 339).

After World War II, the KMT allowed Qingdao to serve as the headquarters of the Western Pacific Fleet of the US Navy in 1945; however, its headquarters were transferred to the Philippines sometime in late 1948. On 2 June 1949, the CPC-led Red Army entered Qingdao and the city and province have been under PRC control since that time.

Since the 1984 inauguration of China's open-door policy to foreign trade and investment, Qingdao has rapidly developed into an ultramodern port city. It is now the headquarters of the Chinese navy's northern fleet. An early example of the open-door policy occurred on 5 November 1984, when three United States Naval vessels visited Qingdao. This was the first US port call to China in more than 37 years. USS Rentz, USS Reeves, and USS Oldendorf and their crews were officially hosted by the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).

Northern Qingdao, particularly Shibei, Licang, and Chengyang districts, are now major manufacturing centers. The city has recently experienced a strong growth period, with a new central business district created to the east of the older business district. Outside of the center of the city, there is a large industrial zone, which includes chemical processing, rubber, and heavy manufacturing, in addition to a growing high-tech area. Numerous local and national service companies, rather than manufacturers, are based in the city's southern district; this, as well as local wind patterns, allows Qingdao to enjoy clean, clear air year-round.

Image of Qingdao in the early 1900s

Qingdao has a temperate, four-season, monsoon-influenced[29] climate that lies in the transition between the humid subtropical (Köppen Cwa) and humid continental (Köppen Dwa) regimes. Winters range from cool to cold and windy, but are generally dry, with a January average of −0.2 °C (31.6 °F). Summer is generally hot and humid, but very hot days are rare, with an August average of 25.4 °C (77.7 °F). Due to its proximity to the coast and location on a peninsula, compared to most inland areas of China, its spring is delayed by one month,[29] and the annual diurnal temperature variation is only 6.3 °C (11.3 °F); conversely, its fall is milder than inland areas in Shandong. The water temperature peaks at about 25 °C (77 °F) in late August. Thus, swimming is possible for two months on either side. The annual mean temperature is 12.96 °C (55.3 °F). Extremes since 1951 have ranged from −15.5 °C (4 °F) on 16 January 1958 to 38.9 °C (102 °F) on 15 July 2002.[30]

During the summer months, the beaches of Qingdao are afflicted by massive algal blooms. The decomposing algae release large amounts of hydrogen sulfide gas, which produces an offensive "rotten egg" odor. Sea lettuce blooms, which are partially caused by seaweed farming in Jiangsu Province, led local officials to declare a "large-scale algae disaster" in 2013.[31]

• Qingdao West Coast New District
• Qingdao Special Economic and Technological Development Area
• Qingdao Free Trade Zone
• Qingdao High-tech Industrial Zone
• Qingdao University Industrial Zone

There are a total of 1,145 km (711 mi) of roads in the Qingdao area, with nearly 500 km (310 mi) of expressways. These National Trunk Highway System (NTHS) Expressways begin or pass through in Qingdao.[42] Expressways that begin in Qingdao are in Bold:

• G15 Shenhai Expressway (Shenyang, Liaoning-Haikou, Hainan)
• G18 Rongwu Expressway (Rongcheng, Shandong-Wuhai, Inner Mongolia)
• G20 Qingyin Expressway (Qingdao-Yinchuan, Ningxia)

Spur Route: G2011 Qingxin Expressway (Qingdao-Xinhe, Pingdu, Shandong)

• G22 Qinglan Expressway (Qingdao-Lanzhou, Gansu)

These provincial expressways begin in or pass through Qingdao. Expressways that begin in Qingdao are in Bold:

• S16 Rongwei Expressway (Rongcheng-Weifang)
• S19 Longqing Expressway (Longkou-Qingdao)
• S21 Xinwei Expressway (Xinhe-Weifang)
• S24 Weiqing Expressway (Weihai-Qingdao)

Other than Expressways, there are also National Highways that pass through or begin in Qingdao. National Highways that begin in Qingdao are in bold:

• G204 (Yantai-Shanghai)
• G206 (Yantai-Shantou)
• G308 (Qingdao-Shijiazhuang)
• G309 (Rongcheng-Lanzhou)

On 30 June 2011, the longest bridge over water opened in Qingdao. The bridge, Haiwan Bridge, is 26.4 miles (42.5 km) long and connects Qingdao to Huangdao and Hongdao. It would easily cross the English Channel and is almost three miles (4.8 km) longer than the previous record-holder, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in the American state of Louisiana. Haiwan Bridge is supported by more than 5,000 pillars and costs about 10 billion yuan which is about 1.5 billion dollars. The bridge was designed by the Shandong Gausu Group and the construction lasted for four years. Haiwan Bridge cut the commute between the city of Qingdao and the sprawling suburb of Huangdao by 30 minutes. At least 10,000 workers toiled in two teams around the clock to build the bridge, which was constructed from opposite ends.[43] On the same day, the Jiaozhou Bay Tunnel opened. The tunnel brought much convenience to people by supporting public buses and making transport between the two areas more convenient.

Qingdao (official name: Qingdao port international co. ltd.) hosts one of the world's busiest seaports. Cooperative relations have been established with 450 ports in 130 countries worldwide. The port of Qingdao is part of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.[44][45] In 2003, the annual cargo handling capacity exceeded 100 million tons for the first time. The number of containers reached 3.41 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) of cargoes.[46]

By 2011, the port had become the world’s sixth-busiest by Total Cargo Volume, having handled 372,000,000 metric tons (366,000,000 long tons; 410,000,000 short tons) of cargo in that year. As of 2016, it was the 8th in the world in terms of TEUs (Twenty Foot Equivalent Units).[47]

The Orient Ferry connects Qingdao with Shimonoseki, Japan. There are two ferry lines connecting Qingdao with South Korea. The New Golden Bridge II operates between Qingdao and Incheon, and the Blue Sea Ferry operates between Qingdao and Gunsan.[48]

Qingdao port also includes a number of large adjacent ports including Dongjiakou.[49]

Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport, located 39 km (24 mi) away from the city center, is served by 13 domestic and international airlines that operate 94 routes, 12 of which are international and regional. The airport opened on August 12, 2021 as a replacement for Qingdao Liuting International Airport.[50]

Qingdao railway station

Qingdao's railway development picked up during the late 1990s. It is at the start of the Jiaoji Railway. Qingdao's city proper has some major railway stations, including Qingdao railway station, Cangkou railway station, Dagang railway station and Qingdao North railway station.[51] Sifang railway station is now closed to passengers.[52]

D and G series high-speed trains travel on the Jiaoji High Speed Railway and reach speeds of 300 km/h (190 mph) on the Jinan-Qingdao Section.[53] Services go to Beijing, Shanghai, Hefei, Jinan and Tianjin.[54] The fastest train between Qingdao and Beijing is G206 / G205, which takes 2 hours and 58 minutes.[55]

Domestic rail lines connect Qingdao with many cities in China, including Beijing, Lanzhou, Chengdu, Xi'an, Zhengzhou, Jinan and Jining.

A Qingdao bus

Qingdao's public traffic owns 5283 large and medium-sized buses, CNG buses as of 2012.There are also 136 trolleybuses as of 2012. All of the buses and trolleybuses can be accessed using the Qingdao Public Traffic IC Card (青岛卡), which uses radio frequencies so the card does not have to physically touch the scanner. After that, all public transportation companies use Qingdaotong Card, the last company that started to use this card is the Zhenqing bus company located in The West Coast New Area of Qingdao (original Huangdao Distinct) in 2019.

Non air-conditioned buses cost 1 yuan (excluding the tunnel bus), The volume of road passenger transport approaches 737 million per year.[56] The Public Transport Brand of 'Ri-Xin Bus (日新巴士)' is also known in China.

There are several taxi companies in Qingdao including Yiqing Company, Zhongqing Company, Jiaoyun Company, and, Huaqing Company.

Platform of Qingdao Metro

After getting the approval from the State Council, the government announced on 18 August 2009 that Qingdao is ready to spend more than 29 billion yuan ($4.2 billion) before 2016 on its subway construction. Construction of 54.7 km (34.0 mi) of subway line 3 was completed before 2016 with a total investment of 29.2 billion yuan ($4.3 billion). Metro Line 3 is the first line in function and opened on 16 December 2015. In the long term, the city plans to build eight subway lines in downtown and some suburban districts, which account for 231.5 km (143.8 mi) in future.[57] The system has an operating length of 243 km (151 mi), lines in operation including Line 1, Line 2, Line 3, Line 8, Line 11, and Line 13.

The Qingdao Tram system is operating in Chengyang District

The Qingdao Tram (official name: Modern tram demonstration line) of Chengyang District, Qingdao, is a tram system operating in Chengyang District, Qingdao, China. It opened in 2016. The Qingdao Public Transport Group Rail Bus Co., Ltd. is responsible for operation and management. The system is only composed of 1 tram line.

Qingdao retains many buildings with a German architectural style

There are a large number of German-style buildings in Qingdao's city center, a remarkable fact considering the German leased-territory period only lasted 16 years (1898–1914). The unique combination of German and Chinese architecture therein, combined with German demographic roots and a large Korean expatriate population, gives Qingdao a rather distinct atmosphere. An old saying described Qingdao as a city of "red tiles green trees, blue sky, and blue sea." This saying indeed gives a picture of a bird view of Qingdao. A larger number of areas in former foreign styles are well preserved. Although the new city area is under large-scale reconstruction, the old city area (especially the western part of Shinan District) still retains many traditional buildings.

St. Michael's Cathedral

Skyscrapers in Qingdao

• Long Ding, American football kicker
• James R. Lilley, U.S. diplomat
• Ma Jian (马建)
• Ma Jun (马军)
• Xiao Hong (萧红)
• Xiao Jun (萧军)
• Duanmu Hongliang (端木蕻良)
• Erin Pizzey, (was born in Qingdao)
• Li Zhaoxing (李肇星)
• Zhang Ruimin (张瑞敏)
• Victoria Song (宋茜, f(x))
• Huang Zitao (黄子韬, musician, actor)
• Huang Bo (黄渤)
• Zhang Jike (张继科)
• Gao Fenghan (高凤翰)
• Toshiro Mifune (was born in Qingdao)
• Li Cunxin (李存信)
• Huang Xiaoming (黄晓明)
• Chen Hao (陈好)
• Xia Yu (夏雨)
• Fan Bingbing (范冰冰, born in Qingdao)
• Bai Baihe (白百合)
• Hao Haidong (郝海东)
• Wang Dong (王栋, midfielder for Qingdao Huanghai)
• Bu Xiangzhi (卜祥志, chess grandmaster)
• Zhang Juanjuan (张娟娟, archer)
• Malcolm H. Wiener, (was born in Qingdao)
• Ni Ping (倪萍)
• Tang Guoqiang (唐国强)
• Ren Jialun (任嘉伦)
• Chen Meng (陈梦)

• A Little Red Flower (送你一朵小红花 2020) 2020
• A Better Tomorrow 2018 (英雄本色2018) 2016
• The Great Wall (长城) 2016
• Underdog Fight (硬汉) 2008
• Underdog Fight II (硬汉 II) 2013
• Ocean Heaven (海洋天堂) 2010
• Beauty Remains (美人依旧) 2005

During the city's leased-territory days, German, the official language, was rigorously taught and promoted. Since the demise of Germany's colonial empire after World War I, the German language is all but gone, leaving little impact on the local languages. A local accent known as Qingdao dialect (Chinese: 青岛话; pinyin: Qīngdǎo huà) distinguishes the residents of the city from those of the surrounding Shandong province. Due to the efforts by the city government to promote standard Mandarin, most educated people can speak standard Mandarin in addition to their native dialect. With reform policies and English teaching, some young citizens have been taught English and many can converse with English-speaking foreigners. Business and traffic signs in English are becoming more and more common.

Notable festivals include:

• Qingdao International Horticultural Exposition 2014 is the biggest international fair that has been held in the history of the city.
• Qingdao International Beer Festival in August/September, held annually since 1991.

• Zhan Qiao (Pier, 栈桥)
• Little Qingdao Isle (小青岛)
• Tian Hou Temple (天后宫), Qingdao Folk Museum
• Badaguan (八大关; 'Eight Great Passes'), the older area of town with some surviving German and Japanese architecture.
• Lu Xun Park, named after Lu Xun, modern Chinese writer and critic, who lived and taught in the 1930s.
• Zhongshan Park, named after the style name 'Zhongshan' of Sun Yat-sen, a famous modern Chinese politician.
• Xiao Yu Shan (小鱼山; 'Little Fish Hill')
• The twin-spired St. Michael's Cathedral (天主教堂; Kathedrale St. Michael), a notable example of Qingdao's famous Neo-romanesque architecture, designed by German architect Alfred Fräbel, completed in 1934.
• Qingdao Aquarium (青岛水族馆)
• Jiaozhou Governor's Hall (提督府), the office building of former German governors (Gouverneurspalast) and former municipal government
• Xinhao Hill (信号山)

• May Fourth Square (Platz des vierten Mai), Coastal plaza with the Wind of May sculpture
• Tsingtao Brewery (Tsingtao-Brauerei), founded by Germany and the most exported beer from China.
• Zhanshan Temple (Dschanschan-Tempel), Qingdao's oldest Buddhist temple.

• Lao Shan (Mount Lao, Lauschan, 崂山), 40 km (25 mi) east of Qingdao, the most famous Taoist mountain with Taoist retreat – Great Purity Palace (太清宫)
• National Shilaoren Tourist Resort (石老人国家旅游度假区), the famous bathing beach symbolized by a characteristic natural sea rock with a shape like an old man
• Xiaomaidao Park (小麦岛公园), the park with hills, a beach, and a nice view of the coastal line

Old Main Building of Qingdao University of Science and Technology

Qingdao is home to a large number of higher education institutions. Ocean University of China, formerly called the Ocean University of Qingdao, is the most important university of maritime sciences in China. In addition, the Qingdao University, Qingdao University is ranked #940 in Best Global Universities. Schools are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence.[62] the Qingdao University of Science and Technology as well as the Qingdao Technological University have also been integral parts of higher education in Qingdao for decades. Shandong University Qingdao (SDUQ) was established in 2016, belonging to Shandong University System. Other institutions include:

• China University of Petroleum, completed its relocation from Dongying to Qingdao in 2012
• Shandong University of Science and Technology, the main campus is based in Qingdao since 2003
• Qingdao Agricultural University, the main campus is based in Qingdao since 2007
• Qingdao Technical College
• Qingdao Binhai University, located at Huangdao.

Shandong University was located in Qingdao from 1909 to 1936. A new branch campus of the university is under construction in Aoshanwei Town, Jimo.

• Korean International School of Qingdao
• Malvern College Qingdao
• Pegasus California School, Qingdao
• International School of Qingdao
• Qingdao Amerasia International School
• Qingdao No.1 International School
• Qingdao Oxford International College
• Yew Chung International School of Qingdao
• Belt&Road Collaborative Innovation College (BRCIC)[63]

• Qingdao No. 2 High School
• Qingdao No. 58 School
• Qingdao No. 1 High School
• Qingdao No. 9 High School
• Qingdao No. 15 High School
• Qingdao No. 19 High School
• and so on

• Guoxin Gymnasium (Qingdao city sports center)
• Yizhong Sports Center
• Qingdao Tiantai Stadium
• Hongcheng Stadium

During the 2008 Summer Olympics, Qingdao and Beijing cohosted the Olympic Sailing competitions.[64] In Qingdao, the events took place along the shoreline by the city. These events were hosted at the Qingdao International Sailing Centre and held in Fushan Bay, near the city's central business district. An international broadcasting center and purpose-built hotel were constructed for the Games.

The IndyCar Series signed a contract with the Qingdao city council to hold an IndyCar race in Qingdao in 2012. The subsequently canceled race was supposed to take place on a 6.23 km (3.87 mi) street circuit.[65][66]