Home » City specials » Qingdao
East and West charm mix in leisurely city
By Chen Ye |
June 19, 2010, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
Qingdao has long been famed as a city of leisure and ease. Even its most famous product, Tsingtao beer, fits into this image and has boosted the coastal city's fame around the world. But what makes Qingdao a historical and cultural city is its architecture.
Qingdao, in Shandong Province, retains many buildings with a combination of German and Chinese elements in the city center.
Combine this with some German demographic roots and a large Korean population, and you have an atmosphere special to Qingdao.
The old city was essentially built by Germans during the colonial era.
This area of the city retains many buildings that were designed by Germans.
Every year many Germans still go to Qingdao to see the well-preserved German influence in the city.
Architecture can be considered a part of culture as buildings are living reminders of historical events.
Thus the German buildings in Qingdao are a gift, in a way, to world history and culture.
Zhanqiao Pier is an obvious destination for travelers as it is the symbol of the city. It will also help people understand the changes in Qingdao's fortunes during the past 100 years.
The 440-meter-long Zhanqiao Pier is in Qingdao Bay and connects with Zhongshan Road. The views from here contrast sharply with the towering modern buildings looking down upon the former German Concession with its church peaks and parks, the red clay tiles interrupted only by dark green pines.
During the full-tide season, tourists and locals gather together collecting seashells and enjoying the charming beach view. With the ebbing of the tide people can appreciate the brown reefs and yellowish sand.
Construction of Zhanqiao Pier started in 1892 during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and was completed the next year.
It was originally built by Li Hongzhang while he was visiting Qingdao. It was initially a military-specific artificial dock 200 meters in length and 10 meters wide. It had a gray-stone base and iron fence.
However, after Germans entered Qingdao, Zhanqiao Pier became a terminal dock.
From September 1931 to April 1933, the Qingdao government upgraded Zhanqiao Pier, extending it to its present length of 440 meters.
Ba Da Guan (Eight Passes) scenic area is another place that represents the combination of German and Chinese cultures in Qingdao.
Ba Da Guan is a major tourist attraction which is close to the Qingdao coast. It is made up of eight streets named after the eight great military forts from ancient periods.
What makes Ba Da Guan so popular is not just its natural scenery, but also its garden-like villas and Western-style buildings. Ba Da Guan scenic area used to be a place where people from more than 20 countries and regions, such as Russia, Britain, France, Germany, the United States, Denmark and Japan, constructed buildings with their national features during the colonial period.
Since the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing dynasties, Qingdao people have planted various flowers in Ba Da Guan so that in different seasons there are many flowers in bloom.
One of the most famous buildings in Ba Da Guan is Hua Shi Lou.
The building features a Gothic style with obvious Greek and Roman influences. The front steps are made of granite and the interior features loads of marble. There are five floors and the sea is visible from the top floor.
Qingdao, in Shandong Province, retains many buildings with a combination of German and Chinese elements in the city center.
Combine this with some German demographic roots and a large Korean population, and you have an atmosphere special to Qingdao.
The old city was essentially built by Germans during the colonial era.
This area of the city retains many buildings that were designed by Germans.
Every year many Germans still go to Qingdao to see the well-preserved German influence in the city.
Architecture can be considered a part of culture as buildings are living reminders of historical events.
Thus the German buildings in Qingdao are a gift, in a way, to world history and culture.
Zhanqiao Pier is an obvious destination for travelers as it is the symbol of the city. It will also help people understand the changes in Qingdao's fortunes during the past 100 years.
The 440-meter-long Zhanqiao Pier is in Qingdao Bay and connects with Zhongshan Road. The views from here contrast sharply with the towering modern buildings looking down upon the former German Concession with its church peaks and parks, the red clay tiles interrupted only by dark green pines.
During the full-tide season, tourists and locals gather together collecting seashells and enjoying the charming beach view. With the ebbing of the tide people can appreciate the brown reefs and yellowish sand.
Construction of Zhanqiao Pier started in 1892 during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and was completed the next year.
It was originally built by Li Hongzhang while he was visiting Qingdao. It was initially a military-specific artificial dock 200 meters in length and 10 meters wide. It had a gray-stone base and iron fence.
However, after Germans entered Qingdao, Zhanqiao Pier became a terminal dock.
From September 1931 to April 1933, the Qingdao government upgraded Zhanqiao Pier, extending it to its present length of 440 meters.
Ba Da Guan (Eight Passes) scenic area is another place that represents the combination of German and Chinese cultures in Qingdao.
Ba Da Guan is a major tourist attraction which is close to the Qingdao coast. It is made up of eight streets named after the eight great military forts from ancient periods.
What makes Ba Da Guan so popular is not just its natural scenery, but also its garden-like villas and Western-style buildings. Ba Da Guan scenic area used to be a place where people from more than 20 countries and regions, such as Russia, Britain, France, Germany, the United States, Denmark and Japan, constructed buildings with their national features during the colonial period.
Since the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing dynasties, Qingdao people have planted various flowers in Ba Da Guan so that in different seasons there are many flowers in bloom.
One of the most famous buildings in Ba Da Guan is Hua Shi Lou.
The building features a Gothic style with obvious Greek and Roman influences. The front steps are made of granite and the interior features loads of marble. There are five floors and the sea is visible from the top floor.
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