24 hours in Qingdao

The seaside city of Qingdao is set to host the Olympic sailing events in 2008 and from the massive billboards at the airport to the sailboat-shaped dishes created by chefs at the Shangri-La Hotel, the city is awash with excitement.

Of course, there’s more to Qingdao charm than its coastline. Visitors shouldn’t miss the vast repository of beautifully preserved German (and other European) colonial architecture. Or the beer.

9:30am: For style and centrality, the newly-expanded Shangri-La Qingdao is the place to stay. From here, take a leisurely walk through the up-and-coming CBD, with its glass skyscrapers and wide avenues, towards – what else? – the water. In between the Municipal Government Building and the bay, a bright-red ‘fire torch’ sculpture dominates May 4th Square, a tribute to the anti-imperialist and anti-feudalist movement of 1919.

10am: Crossing the square, to the east you can see the Qingdao International Marina. Located on the former site of the Beihai Shipyard, the ambitious Olympic venue is equipped with the sport’s most advanced IT system for data processing and transactions. Solar-energy and wind-energy lamps will light the main embankment at night, for an estimated saving of more than 6,500 kwh annually. Be that as it may, the area is already dotted with sailing boats, including many that are privately owned. Though still in its final stages of construction, some sections of the complex are open to visitors.

11:30am: Take a leisurely walk back to the hotel for a buffet lunch at Shangri-La’s Coffee Garden. Be sure to try the sushi, rolled before your very eyes by a renowned Japanese master chef.

1pm: Take a bus (the bus station is nearby) or taxi to Badaguan (Eight Passes) Scenic Area, which more than lives up to its name. Here, you can stroll past avenues lined with peach, crabapple, pine trees, and ginkgoes. The area is home to some 200 European-style villas, with their telltale red-tiled roofs and luxuriant gardens.

2:30pm: Follow the path to the beach, where you’ll find a villa that appears to be modeled on a European castle. Huashi (Pebble House) presents a queer integration of Greek, Roman and Gothic styles, but it does boast a marvelous sea view from the top floor. It’s said that Chiang Kai-shek and his wife Song Meilin once found refuge here, along with a number of Kuomintang special agents. After the founding of the PRC, Pebble House became a guest house for government leaders, including Shanghai’s first major, Chen Yi. Today, for just a few yuan, you can wander at leisure through the villa and its grounds. From the garden it’s just a short walk to the bustling Number Two Bathing Beach, one of the seven beaches along the city’s winding coast.

4:30pm: Catch a bus and head west to Xiaoyu Hill. This is Qingdao’s old town, filled with quaint stone houses, villas and buildings built by the Germans during their short-lived rule of the city. The Guest House is perhaps the most impressive: it once served as the official residence of the German Governor-General. Still in beautiful condition, it hosts an antique ivory piano and crystal and ruby-strung chandeliers. Ask one of the tour guides for information on this legendary house and its famous occupants.

6pm: On your way back to the city center stop at the nearby Christian church, with its famous bell tower that chimes on the hour.

6:30pm: For dinner, enjoy a typical Qingdao seafood feast at Seafood Big Mac, which offers a variety of fresh fish and seafood from the huge tanks on the first floor. The massive lobster is a specialty – chefs slice it tableside, and it’s a good thing they’re armed with knives, as the lobster’s tail may still be swaying. 9pm: After dinner, retire to the newly-renovated Café Roland. This three-story building by the sea is a local favorite, often frequented by pop stars. Relax in the courtyard with a cold beer and great sea views – very Qingdao.

By Rita Ma (That's Shanghai)