Qingdao Hotels

Qingdao is one of the most beautiful and clean cities in the People's Republic of China and with a population of around 3.5 million (8 million regional) is the largest city in Shandong Province. The name "Qingdao" means "The Blue/Green Island". Qingdao is a city steeped in China's 20th century history. Qingdao was taken as part of the an Imperial German concession of Jiaozhou Bay. Despite ongoing discussions with Chinese authorities about giving the Germans territory, on the 7th of November 1897, they landed troops. Their pretext was the murder of two missionaries on the 1st of November of that year. The concession treaty was signed on March 6, 1889, for a 99 year lease. However, Japan occupied it on August 27, 1914, as part of the First World War. The Germans acquired it as a relatively unimportant town of about 1000 inhabitants. Yet by 1902, it had grown to 668 Caucasians and 15000 Chinese. As of the most recent data available, the city has a population of 2.6 million. During the colonial period, the Germans left a distinct mark on Qingdao's architecture that can still be seen today in its historic center and train station: although the latter has been mostly torn down for redevelopment, part of the original station has been preserved to be incorporated in the new design. Many German-period buildings have been preserved as heritage monuments. It is a kind of 'Bavaria-on-the-East-China-Sea', where they even sell Bratwurst on the street. In 1903, the world-famous Tsingtao brewery was established by homesick Germans. The Japanese took the city since, during the First World War, they were allied with the British. After the war, the Japanese wanted the Allies give them the right to continue holding on to the city, but protests by students during the May 4th Movement of 1919, eventually forced them to return the city to Chinese soverignity. During the Second World War, the Japanese retook Qingdao as they captured most of the rest of northern China. In 2008, Qingdao hosted the sailing events of the 2008 Summer Olympics. Qingdao's climate ranges from very hot and humid in the summer to snowstorms in winter. Qingdao is an ideal destination if you want to combine sea-side fun with your trip to China