Qingdao'scleanbeaches,EuropeanarchitectureandgreatbeerinspiredbyLaoShan'scrispspringwatermakethiscityinsouthernShandonganidyllicgetawaytospendafewrelaxingdaysstrollingalongtheboardwalkwhilewatchingthesunriseovertheocean.

　　Qingdaoisdeceptivelynamed"GreenIsland"inChinese,despiteithavingnoisland,andlocalsrefertothislaidbacktownasthe"islandcity."Itwasonlyasmallscenicfishingvillageuntilthemightofinternationalpoliticsthrustitupontheworldstage.In1897twoGermanmissionariesinShandongprovinceweremurdered.Usingthisasapretext,in1898KaiserWilhelmIIforcedtheQinggovernmenttoleaseQingdaotoGermanyfor99years.

　　TheKaiserintendedtokeepQingdaoforthose99yearsandsobuiltatypicallyGerman-styledcity.TheGermansexpandedQingdao'sinfrastructure,enlargeditsharbor,builtarailconnectiontotheprovincialcapitalandpipedinspringwaterfromLaoShan.TakingadvantageofLaoShan'sspringwater,abeerbrewerywasbuiltin1903,andtodayQingdaoisacenterforChinesebeerproduction.

　　ThecityremainedinGermanpossessionuntilWorldWarI,whentheJapanese,withBritishaid,tookthecity.AsamemberoftheAlliedPowers,theChinesegovernmentdemandedthereturnofQingdao,butundertheTreatyofVersailles,QingdaoandallGermanpossessionsinAsiaweregiventoJapan.Bowingtowidespreadprotests,theChinesedelegationrefusedtosignthetreatyandin1919,pent-upresentmentandangerunleasheditselfastheMayFourthMovement.ThemovementwasadecisivepointinthecreationofanationalChineseconsciousness.In1922,controlofQingdaowasfinallytransferredbacktotheChinese.

　　TheskilledGermanengineersmadeQingdaointoasmallBavarian-liketown.Freshairandcrowd-freestreetshelpcompletethetransformation.TheareaaroundBadaGuan(八大关),closetotheNo.2BathingBeach(第二海水浴场),istheformerGermanresidentialarea;itsnamemeans"eightpasses."BadaGuannowsports10streetswith100Western-stylevillas.Spaciousandblessedwithgreenery,eachstreetislinedwithasingletypeoftree;localscantellwhatstreetthey'reonjustbylookingatthefoliage.Closetotheoceanandbathedinayear-longseabreeze,it'seasytounderstandwhymanychosethisareafortheirhomes.Summersherearebreathtakingandsomeofthehistoricvillasareavailableforrent.

　　ZhongshanLuisQingdao'smajorshoppingthoroughfare.Withawealthofstoresandrestaurants,aleisurelystrollwilllikelyresultlotsofshopping,eatingorboth.

　　A20-minutedriveeastonZhongshanLubringsyoutoacommandingCatholicchurch(天主教堂)ontopofahill.Themajestyofthechurchiseasilyconveyedbytwo20-meter-tallbelltowers,housingfourbellseachandtoppedwithcrosses4.5meterswide.Itremainsanactiveplaceofworshipandholdsregularmass.Entryisfreeduringmass;otherwise,there'safive-yuanentryticketfrom8:30amto4pm.

　　QingdaoInternationalBeerFestival（青岛国际啤酒节）

　　TheannualQingdaoInternationalBeerFestivalisheldeveryAugust,integratingeconomictrade,tourism,science,technology,cultureandsports.ItpromoteseconomicandcultureexchangesbetweenQingdaoandvariouscountries.TouristsmaytasteseveraldozenkindsofbeermadeinChina.TheQingdaoSunmerArtFestival,On-WaterSportsCompetition,professionallectures,asandsculpturecontestandan