Qingdao, the ‘Green Island’, is probably best known for its famous TsingTao brewery - a hangover from its German occupation back in the 1800-1900s. Every August in true German style, the city holds a two-week beer festival during which time you’ll hear the phrase ‘Gan bei!’ (bottoms up!) volleyed with gusto throughout the city’s streets. These days, TsingTao beer is China’s leading branded consumer product export, giving its residents even more reason to celebrate. Qingdao, China’s ‘city of sails’, gazes out upon the Hanghai Sea from its coastal outpost in Eastern China’s Shandong Province. Its many bays and inlets give rise to a flourishing fishing industry; prior to its Japanese and subsequent German occupation it was a small fishing village. Unsurprisingly seafood dominates the menu down in Qingdao’s Yunxiaolu restaurant district. The fruits de mer are prepared in a range of styles, from spicy Sichuan, to sweet, heavy Shanghai. You can even find blowfish (a potentially deadly Japanese delicacy) on the menu. Non-seafood lovers need not despair; Qingdao’s vibrant culinary scene ensures that in this town you can satiate an appetite for a Texan rib eye, Spaghetti alla Puttanesca or a Korean BBQ. Like Beijing, the city has a burgeoning South Korean population, attracted by the city’s growing economic status. In addition to its prospering beer business, the city boasts thriving heavy manufacturing, chemical, and more recently, electronics industries. These activities are located south of the city, which, coupled with favorable local wind patterns, ensures that the city enjoys clean air, year-round. Outside of work hours, Qingdao is slightly more subdued than some of China’s other larger cities. That is not to say that it doesn’t harbor a decent after hours scene. For al fresco dining, head for the Music Kitchen’s roof terrace, where you can gaze at the stars while enjoying a pizza and fresh salad. The night market is great for browsing after a meal. Those in search of a nightcap will find literally hundreds of international brands of beer down on Beer Street. Distinctly European architecture bestows a familiarity upon Qingdao that makes it an easy port of entry for newcomers to China. Similarly its shopping facilities, which include European names such as Carrefour, aid a smooth integration.