Qingdao 青岛, China - sister city of Southampton, United Kingdom

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Qingdao 青岛

Qingdao

Qingdao (青岛; 青島; TsingTao) is a picturesque coastal city that lies on the southern tip of China's Shandong Peninsula, located in JiaoZhou Bay facing the Yellow Sea.

Qingdao was the host city for the sailing events during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Qingdao is also know as the home of the famous Tsingtao beer and the Qingdao International Beer Festival (see below for Qingdao festival dates).

Qingdao Facts & Figures

Location and Climate
Qingdao is located in the middle of Shandong Peninsula with the Yellow Sea to the east and south, and the mainland to the west and north. Qingdao covers an area of 10,654 sq km.

Located in the temperate semi-humid continental climate zone, it is a well-known summer resort. The average summer and winter temperatures are 25℃ and 1.3℃ respectively with an annual average temperature of 12.2℃.

Districts and Population
Qingdao is comprised of 7 districts: Shinan, Shibei, Sifang, Licang, Chengyang, Huangdao and Laoshan. There are also five county-level cities: Jiaozhou, Jiaonan, Jimo, Pingdu, and Laixi.

The total population of the area which falls under the jurisdiction of Qingdao Local Government, is approximately 8.2 million.

Travel
Qingdao Liuting International Airport links the city with over 47 cities across China and also offers direct flights to regional and international destinations such as Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul, Singapore, Hong Kong, Frankfurt, Paris and more.

Flight times to adjacent cities:

Beijing - 1h
Shanghai - 1h
Seoul - 1h
Busan - 1h 30min
Fukuoka - 1h 30min
Osaka - 2h
Guangzhou - 2h 30min
Tokyo - 2h 40min

The Qingdao Rail Station provides frequent connections to regions throughout China with direct routes to Beijing, Jinan, Weihai and Yantai. A high speed train connects Qingdao with Jinan, Beijing, and Guangzhou.

The area has 9 motorways totaling 525 km - Jinan-Qingdao, Jiaozhouwan and the Qingdao-Yinchuan.

Regular ferry services operate between Qingdao and Incheon (Korea) and Shimonoseki (Japan).

Education
There are 11 colleges and universities, including Qingdao Ocean University (中国海洋大学), a key university of the Ministry of Education, and the only one of its kind in China.

Children of foreign business people can study at Qingdao International School and Qingdao Nanyang School.

Healthcare
The 217 hospitals in the city form a complete heath care system that encompasses medical treatment, disease prevention, convalescence, education, and scientific research.

It is recommended that foreigners in need of medical treatment visit the Qingdao International Clinic located on DongHai Zong Lu.

Public Transport
Local buses are numerous and it is an inexpensive way to travel around Qingdao. Bus fares are approximately ¥;;;;1-2. Taxis are also cheap (¥;;;;7 for the first 3.8 km) and easy to find except during the morning and evening rush hours (8-9am & 5-6pm).

Qingdao Festivals

February