Qingdao is a beautiful coastal city that lies at the southern tip of the Shandong Peninsula. Located in Jiaozhou Bay facing the Yellow Sea, Qingdao is also a well-known holiday resort in China. The city has seven urban districts and five county level cities under its jurisdiction. Before troops were garrisoned here by the imperial court of Qing in 1891, Qingdao had been a small fishing village. It became a German concession in 1897 and was occupied by Japan in 1914. The city reverted to Chinese rule in 1922, but was occupied by Japan again during the Second World War. Today it is one of the most important open coastal cities and one of the independent cities with state planning and budgeting powers. It has provincial power in economic management. Its major industries include trade, light industry, tourism and oceanography research. The uniqueness of the city consists in its architecture and an attractive urban landscape. Qingdao will host the 29th Sailing Olympic Games in August 2008.

Aquatic Facilities

Recreational activities on offer in Qingdao include sailing, fishing, windsurfing, jet skiing, scuba diving, boating, waterskiing and swimming. Popular locations include No.1 Beach and Shilaoren (Old Stone Man) Beach Resort Areas.

Location

Located between longitude 120 E and latitude 36 N, at the southwestern tip of the Shandong Peninsula, bordering the Yellow Sea to the east and south.

Climate

Temperate climate year long. Annual average temperature: 12.7C. Average summer and winter temperatures are 25 C and -1.3C respectively. Rainfall: average annual precipitation of 775.6 mm.

Population

Approximately 7.2 million total including all 7 districts. Urban population is 2.5 million. Largest single expatriate group is Korean. According to Qingdao Korean Consulate, there are over 60,000 Koreans working and/or residing in Qingdao. Exact remaining expatriate figures are unavailable, however, redSTAR research indicates that the average Western expat base per year totals anywhere between 3,000-5,000 individuals. Japanese figures are estimated at 2,000-3,000 per year.

Districts

7 districts of Shinan, Shibei, Sifang, Licang, Chengyang, Huangdao, and Laoshan, and 5 county-level cities of Jiaozhou, Jiaonan, Jimo, Pingdu, and Laixi

Infrastructure

Sea: Qingdao Port is mainland China's 2nd largest major trading port. it is linked with over 450 overseas ports by 85 shipping lines with 380 international vessels departing from Qingdao every month.

Air: Qingdao Liuting International Airport: 748 domestic flights are in operation each week linking Qingdao to about 47 cities in China. There are also several direct international flights to Korea, Japan, etc. A direct air route to Frankfurt will be opened soon.

Road: Main highways include the Jinan-Qingdao Expressway, Jiaozhouwan Expressway, and the Qingdao-Yinchuan Expressway.

Rail: Freight and passenger trains run from the Qingdao train station to many large cities in the North, East, South, Mid South, Northwest, and Northeast of China. A high speed train between Jinan, Qingdao, Beijing, and Guangzhou is scheduled for operation as early as 2006. Check the getting there and away section for more details.

Economy

Qingdao is home to some of China's most famous companies, including Haier, Hisense, Aucma, Tsingtao Beer and Huadong Wines. Many more are listed in our growing online B2B directory. Light industry, seafood processing and shipping stand out as key industries. A strong electronics industry dominates in this coastal city in east China's Shandong Province. Electronics, together with petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, machinery manufacturing, building material and goods processing are the city's six largest industrial sectors.

Leisure and Sightseeing