Few places in mainland China are more likely to make northern Californians feel at home than the city of Qingdao, located in the northeast province of Shandong.  Wooded hillsides, separated by winding roads, are wreathed in moody fog.   Foothills descend gently to the sea, sheltered beaches meander for miles and visitors can eat what is arguably some of the best seafood in China.  Although the Central Business District (CBD) has gone modern, Qingdao has not lost its finely tuned sense of catering for travelers and backpackers alike.

Positioned at the tip of the Shandong Peninsula where it dips southward into the Yellow Sea, Qingdao has been chosen by the Beijing Olympic Coordinating Committee to host the 2008 Olympic Sailing Regatta.  The comparatively mild temperatures of this seaside city offer a welcome reprieve from the summer furnaces of Nanjing, Beijing, and even Shanghai.

Qingdao translates to "Green Island," and while it is not entirely surrounded by the ocean, it is an island of relaxed living bathed in fresh sea breezes where the rich and famous from around the world still come to play.

Qingdao is an old port city that knows boats and sailing. Commercial trade has existed for centuries and although it is the lifeblood of the city.  In August 2008, these same waters of the surrounding FuShan Bay will be filled with the sails of yachts from all over the world as they participate in the first Olympics ever in China. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Old Qingdao:  This part of town faces Qingdao Bay to the south and is filled with old European history & architecture that depicts city’s international past.  The following are some of the most popular historic sites in Old Town: