The coastal city of Qingdao is famous for both the foamy waves of the Pacific Rim which lap at its beaches and the foamy beer froth of its many, many breweries and pubs. If you’re trying to reconcile the image of the traditional Eastern Chinese city with the tankards of European ale, the picture might make more sense when you take into account that the beloved brewery of Tsingtao was first founded in the city by German settlers during the turn of the 20th century. This brewery has the formidable reputation of having an uninterrupted production of beer through two world wars, several government coups and army invasions as well as several changes in management. It is no wonder that the city has rallied around this enduring industrial staple as its icon and part of its cultural heritage, resulting in the emergence of Qingdao as Asia’s most prominent international beer metropolis.
Of course, the downside of the situation is that the non-beer obsessed may find Qingdao somewhat hard to stomach. The people of the city have a peculiar custom of carrying their beer around with them in plastic bags, bought from roadside vendors. The summer dinners in the city comprise of stir-fries and beer; the city boasts a per capita beer consumption equaling five times the average consumption of the rest of the nation.
Befitting a city which has a kind of Bacchanalian reputation (replacing wine with beer and hopefully a lack of orgies which is otherwise implied by the term) the southern region of the city has claimed entertainment as its primary function. Amusement parks, plazas and pubs abound in the south of the city, and even the north isn’t entirely left out of the action as a theme park known as “Around the World” has been established there and is fast gaining great popularity.
An iconic sculpture of a giant high-heel cup with a map of the world engraved upon it spilling beer froth is found at the southern gate of the Qingdao International Beer Town, at the center of a round pond. A fan-shaped plaza surrounds this pond; the open-air arena of this plaza used to be the venue for the International Beer Festival ceremonies and still draws thousands of tourists to its beer palace and food exhibitions. It also hosts the annual International Beer Fair.
When speaking of beer, of course, it goes without saying that pride of place goes to the Tsingtao Beer Museum, in honor of the company that cemented the city’s global identity. This museum is built upon the brewery’s original site and hosts a variety of peculiar yet fun experiences, the most singular of which is the “tipsy room” which simulates drunkenness – complete with hangover! The actual beer production lines can also be observed and fresh beer is usually served at the end of the tour. The street which houses this museum, Dengzhou Road, is the centerpiece of the two week international beer festival in August, which is a celebration of brewmasters both local and foreign. However, the street resembles a beer festival even during the other 11 months of the year as well. The 1 kilometer stretch of road, whose architecture is evocative of German colonial times, is home to no less than 60 bars serving excellent seafood and liquor stores extending into large pavilions where patrons revel loud and long into the night at the end of every business day and is packed end-to-end on holidays.
It goes without saying that how well the visitor is able to partake in the beer-drenched revelry is dependent upon in which Qingdao Accommodation they choose to stay. Copthorne Hotel Qingdao is a well-reputed Qingdao hotel, being situated centrally in the business district and equipped with a plentiful range of rooms and amenities.