If your home country is somewhere in Europe but you now call China home sweet home and you are in need of a dose of hometown nostalgia, Qingdao is just the place for you. Thanks to the extensive high-speed train system, us Beijingers can reach Qingdao within three hours, leaving from Beijing Nan station and heading to Qingdao Bei station.
We had a long weekend, and a long weekend calls for an adventure outside Beijing. Here are some hot spots to visit in Qingdao.
Zhanqiao 栈桥 scenic area is a promenade by the beach where you can go for a walk during a nice day. There are many boat tours where you can buy a ticket to ride around the bay, if you wish, during the hot summertime. You can also have your picture taken by many photographers at the Zhanqiao historical pier. The photographers will actually print out photos right then and there. Our photographer charged us RMB 20 per picture.
Did you forget to bring your beach toys for the kids? Not to fret – there are many locals who will be happy to sell you beach toys for a low price. My family enjoyed playing down by the rocks and looking for shells, but if you are visiting with infants or toddlers, be sure to keep an eye on them because the rocks can be quite slippery because of the algae.
Zhongshan Lu pedestrian walking street is a nice district where you can walk, snack and shop. The architecture is European-influenced, and it reminded my family of Germany!
We visited a small red brick shop called Qingdao Project 青岛计划 (红塔大楼) that sold adorable little accessories and trinkets. Also, in this area, there is a historical Catholic Church, Saint Michael’s Cathedral. This cathedral was built in 1932 but completed in 1934 by a German architect in a Gothic and Roman style. I, myself, did not enjoy visiting the cathedral as much as my parents, who found it quite interesting. The entrance fee was RMB 10 per person. Bonus: Kids are free.
Find it:
Qingdao Project青岛计划（红塔大楼）
17 Zhongshan Lu, Qingdao
中山路17号
Hungry after your beach visit and shopping? I was certainly ravenous! We visit the locals’ favorite, Bulou Youzi 波螺油子•青岛本帮菜. This restaurant is a short walk from Saint Michael’s Cathedral, and it is very popular among both locals and tourists due to the delicious, fresh seafood. Even though most of the dishes were seafood, this restaurant had some kid-friendly choices. I like the steamed clams, string beans with eggs and the prawn stick dumplings.
Find it:
Bulou Youzi 波螺油子•青岛本帮菜（上街里店）
19 Weixian Lu (250m walk from Exit D, Zhongshan Road station, Metro Line 1)
潍县路19号 (距地铁1号线中山路站D口步行250m)
Another good spot to hit is Graffiti Street in Qingdao old town between Longjiang Lu and Longkou Lu. It is an artistic area where you can simply walk around admiring the urban murals painted on the walls of shops. If you are a fan of Studio Ghibli, there are many paintings of scenes from the Ghibli movies. If you are lucky, you may find a street artist who can paint your portrait. My family had our portraits painted, and now they are now our treasured souvenirs.
If you feel like your time at the beach is incomplete, there is another public beach in Badaguan scenic area, 八大关. The walk down to get to the beach from the main roads in Badaguan was serene and calm. Trees created lovely arches, perfect for taking pictures. Badaguan area was especially pretty because of all the deciduous and evergreen trees, the golden gingko trees, the red maples and the evergreen pines. There were many interesting stones washed up by the waves on the beach. I had fun digging in the sand and creating puddles of water. It was nice walking along the beach looking out to the ocean with the beautiful foliage in the background. Unfortunately, the water was too cold to swim in now, and I must confess, it was pretty much torture to have to be by the water but not be able to dip in it!
There were many options for hotels, but we chose the MaxX Hotel Harbour View because we wanted a nice view but did not want to go bankrupt. Surprisingly, our room was spacious and luxurious. We had a wonderful ocean and city view for USD 180 or approximately RMB 1,303 for a two-night stay. At night, our large window from the room allowed us to view the light show from the other buildings! The breakfast buffet was delicious, and though we did not visit them, there was a pool and gym. My family really enjoyed staying at that hotel for a few days.
Find it:
MaxX Hotel Harbour View
26 Xianggang Zhonglu, Shinan District, Qingdao City
青岛市南区香港中路26号
There you go, another one of Clark Yap’s articles. Stay tuned. And stay reading!
Images: Clark Yap
