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| The East is Red: May 4th Square |
I SPY with my little eye, something beginning with: German beer, abalone, Taoism, Communist beaches, and an Olympic sailing team. No, not Quentin Tarentino’s latest eccentric gangster flick, but Qingdao – one of China’s burgeoning secondary cities – where you can enjoy all of the above, and beer in plastic bags.
Stumbling over preconceptions of lederhosen-clad Chinese, nimbly plucking at frothy tankards of beer with chopsticks, I launched myself into the city, Chinese dictionary in hand – an irrelevance it turned out. Taxi drivers will chatter garrulously regardless of whether you answer in English or Mandarin. So take the time to purge yourself of all those nagging philosophical dilemmas “who will be the King of Pop now Michael Jackson is dancing the eternal Moonwalk?...Will Elvis be handing over his crown and his blue suede shoes?”
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The King of Pop got second and third tributes as I toasted him amidst shouts of “hajiu” (for beer in the Qingdao dialect). If you’re lucky, in fact if you step outside your five-star hotel, Qingdao hospitality is likely to invite you for a bottle, or ten, of Tsingtao beer. I was willingly taken under the wing of Captain Jau, friend to the foreigner, seafood chef and a “pure Qingdao boy” by his own merry admission. It is polite to toast each time you raise your glass to drink – start practising that tear-jerker Oscar acceptance speech, toast the host, or simply toast the guest of honour with a resounding “hajiu”.
The “hajiu-soaked” residents of Qingdao are famous for the German founded Tsingtao Brewery, from which a fresh, light lager frothily pours. Take a stroll round the museum and see the modern brewery in action, or step out onto Beer Street for a Rmb5 plastic bag (price by weight) filled from barrels outside grocery stores, laundries and restaurants.
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| German Quarter: atmosphere and beer |
Qingdao came into the limelight during the 2008 Olympics as a serious sailing hub. This, and the growing International Beer Festival, has brought a brand new airport and several international hotel offerings to the small coastal city. English is not widely spoken outside of the five-star Qingdao business hotels, but a friendly populace and a bilingual concierge should be able to kit you out with all the Chinese characters you need to get by.
The new airport is small, modern and easy to zip through at either end. Upon arrival, there are several exit points, some shunting you far from any discernible transport. A fail-safe option is to turn right and walk around 500 metres until the airport shuttle stands and taxi ranks appear.
Taxis into the city throng take between 45 minutes and an hour at a cost of Rmb60-Rmb80. There’s no need to haggle and the meter will always be on. Of course, it pays to be vigilant. There are two types of taxi, one slightly larger than the other (both use air-conditioning) at slightly differing costs: Rmb7 (1.1/km) or Rmb10 (1.7/km). Either way, a short taxi ride is unlikely to cost more than US$3. Shift change for all city taxis is between 5.30 and 6pm, when flagging one down will be nigh on impossible.
Money is routinely changed at hotels or banks (there are no money changers in China). The exchange rate is US$1 = Rmb6.83 and hotels generally provide a reasonable deal.
Qingdao shopping and entertainment guide
Our Qingdao guide starts with fun. And why not? Head to the Hong Kong Garden area for Qingdao’s mix of international entertainment, shopping, dining and nightlife, all within handy walking distance of several major hotels. While not a fashion and artist hive like Beijing or brand name bandwagon like Shanghai, Qingdao has seen Japanese and Korean influence and is drawing more big brands, as malls spring up around new hotels. The keen shopper can hop from Japanese supermarket Jusco to all-round department store MyKAL (tel: [86-532] 6670-0666); window shop high-end fashion at Hisense Plaza (tel: [86-532] 6678-8888, www.hisense.com) and Sunshine Plaza (tel: [86-532] 8667-7166), or browse the highbrow at four-storey Book City (tel: [86-532] 8587-5440). Following Qingdao’s growing international presence, more malls and brand names are moving in. Hisense already boasts Hermes, Prada, Tiffany and Cartier, while new-arrival Wanda Plaza has attracted mid-range Uniqlo and Zara. Prices are no cheaper here unless the brand uses one of the local factories, which specialise in jewellery and shoes.
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| Cathedral and Old World charm |
If the bright lights and price tags of shopping malls don’t have the ring of authenticity, try Hairun Silk Store at Hairun International Business Hotel (tel: [86-532] 8666-9566) for good quality Shangdong silk. Jimo Market on Jimo Lu is a courtyard shopping area set in traditional-style Chinese buildings selling everything from buttons to ball dresses, and a host of fake goods all vacuum packed in clear plastic. Explore for fun and to pick up some cheap souvenirs, but shops close early, at around 5.30pm. If still craving more of the same, head to the Taidong Night Market that, usefully, starts at 5.30pm and lasts until about 10pm.
Those seeking the trendiest threads on their Qingdao shopping spree should head to Zhongshan Commerce City. It isn’t the most inspiring name for an underground shopping mall, but at 113 Zhonshan Lu, it is one of Qingdao's oldest underground shopping streets, stretching eastward to AnHui Lu Park. Find the hottest fashion and haggle away. Slightly cheaper but the same deal (and a less misleading name) can be found at LongShan Underground Shopping Mall. A little out of the way, west of the main entertainment areas, Changle Road Antique is well worth a visit for the myriad independent antique and second-hand stores. Take a Mandarin-speaking guide if planning to buy. That’s the long and short of Qingdao shopping.
Fancy a beer? Head to Beer Street for reams of alfresco restaurants serving fresh seafood and fresh beer. Or is it an early morning caffeine hit you need? Take yourself to Coffee and Tea Craft Street and browse the traditional Chinese teahouses or European-style coffee shops (Rmb20 for a cuppa). Perhaps a stiff drink is in order after all that shopping – roll into a bar on…Bar Street. The practically minded Qingdao city planners have thought of everything, and although the Chinese road names still exist, you’ll find these literal translations widely used. On Coffee and Tea Craft Street (Minjiang Er Lu), find Happy Day Coffee (tel: [86-532] 8597-1179, www.happydaycoffee.com, open 9.15am-2am) where you can sink into chintzy sofas and enjoy their healthy wine selection and hearty European and American meals for around Rmb58. Café Kona (tel: [86-632] 8573-5300) pours a good cup of coffee against a backdrop of heavy wooden furniture, a mezzanine floor and calm music.
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| The local staple/ photo: Philippa Young |
For cheap eats on the go, try Hisense. The clothes may cost more than your monthly salary but the basement food court has a wide selection of good cheap food. On Bar Street (Jianxi Lu) hop between Freeman Café with Mediterranean design touches and a relaxed atmosphere, ssLPG (short for Simon says let’s play games), SOHO, Charlie’s Bar, TJ’s and the popular Corner Jazz Bar. Slightly farther afield, but still in the entertainment district, is expat haunt Club New York (2/F, Overseas Chinese International Hotel, 41 XiangGang Middle Road, tel: [86-532] 8573-9199) known for its live music. Check out hidden gem Room Lounge (1/F, HaiHua Building, BinHai Garden 1 ShangDong Road, tel: [86-532] 8666-3559) for Italian, French and Argentinean wines in an intimate and stylish space. This is a nice Qingdao bar for an evening’s unwind.
Qingdao dining options centre round locovore seafood and Shangdong cuisine, Korean, Japanese and Italian. When dining outside of the major hotels, one of the best Italians is tiny six-table Trattoria Verde (tel: [86-532] 8589-8530) at 100 Shanghang Lu. You’ll need to book in advance and Trattoria Verde is closed on Mondays, but if you can get a table in this intimate establishment, the food and service is worth it. For a quirky Korean meal, Nolboo Restaurant (tel: [86-532] 8801-1080) has a Rmb70 set menu and a Korean barbecue on the second floor. Nolboo is a little out of the way but one of the best Korean offerings in town. Eat with the fishes at oceanfront restaurant Yinhai Word close to the International Yacht Club, for all the seafood you can imagine, and some you can’t.
Sightseeing and tourist attractions
A distinct lack of cohesiveness is the most obvious element of Quingdao sightseeing, and nothing could be better. With no action hub, cheesy tourist traps have been avoided, and itineraries can take in various points of interest while skirting the crowds. Starting in the eastern Laoshan District, verdant parks and Laoshan Mountain draw hikers, Taoist pilgrims, and those seeking a less crowded version of Japan’s cherry blossom season (April-May). Gardens dot the city but the horticulture-minded should head to the western Shinan District Zhongshan Park’s botanical garden, where a zoo, temple and sightseeing TV Tower can also be found. Qingdao’s parks have been lauded as some of the most beautiful in China. They are well maintained and well-used escapes from urban life. (Zhongshan Park is named for Sun Yat-sen, Chinese revolutionary and political leader often referred to as the Father of the Nation after playing a key role in overthrowing the Qing Dynasty in October 1911, the last imperial dynasty of China.)
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| Quingdao beach and shoreline |
Beaches along the coastline, spread tourist traffic along 40km of Qingdao Seaside Walk, from Shilaoren Scenic Area and Old Stone Man in the east to Tuandao in the west. Walk, cycle, or jump in a taxi as the beaches count down, six to one. Number One Bathing Beach at Huiquan Bay is 580 metres long, 40 metres wide, and considered the best. The other beaches shouldn’t be overlooked for quieter trips. On the peninsula separating Huiquan Bay and Taiping Bay is Badaguan Scenic Area or “Eight Passes”. Badaguan is made up of tree-lined roads, and Bavarian-style villas. The Gothic castle here, overlooking Taiping Bay is a favourite spot for wedding photography. Visit the ZaiShuiYiFang Leisure Club, a bathing house offering spa, sauna and massage facilities, renovated in 2008. Unique to Qingdao, the bathing house offers “circling pure ocean water” for an entrance fee of Rmb88 men, Rmb68 women and Rmb38 children. Buy a disposable swimming suit if you’ve left yours at home and enjoy a pedicure for Rmb38, a full body massage for Rmb298 or even get your shirt laundered for a very reasonable Rmb20.
Head to the old town east of Zhongshan Park for more examples of German architecture. Some parts haven’t been touched since the Germans left, while others in the centre of town are enjoying a careful facelift. Walking round this area gives the uncanny feeling of being in a rural German town, with dark pine trees, chunky stone churches and red-tiled roofs. The old German and English embassies sit a five minute stroll from The Guest House, the ex-German Governor’s residence, lurid in yellows and reds, now housing a very nice independent hotel, the Clearsea Arts Hotel. The Christian Church, May 4th Square, beachside Xiao Yu Shan Park, and Zhanqiao Pier all get crowded, particularly on weekends and in the early evening. Unless a professional people watcher, we recommend an early morning visit before heading further up the coast to quieter Old Man Stone Beach.
Lest it be forgotten in a drunken blur, the Tsingtao Beer Museum (tel: [86-532] 8383-3437, museum@tsingtao.com.cn) on Dengzhou Lu, commonly known as Beer Street, lies north of Zhongshan Park. With the tagline “give us an hour, we’ll give you a century”, for Rmb50, Tsingtao Beer Museum takes you through the history of the brewing process in China in Chinese and English. If English-speaking guides are on hand to entertain groups the experience is vastly more enjoyable. The final stop is a small glass of the famous “raw” beer and a pack of moreish beer nuts. In the museum shop, purchase jugs of beer and take-home bottles at Rmb10.
Chengyang and Qingdao airport hotels
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| DoubleTree by Hilton/ photo: hotel |
At the outskirts of the city and serving business and corporate guests who need good access to the airport is Holiday Inn Parkview. At the forefront of Holiday Inn’s rollout of its brand new image, and five minutes from the airport, the new property is convenient for quick stopovers, providing one of the only free airport pick-up and drop-off services. A free nightly shuttle to central sister property, Crowne Plaza, leaves at 6.30pm and returns at 10pm. Next door Century Park breaks up the swathes of pink residential housing and 3,000 factories, and is perfect for a morning jog. As the area awaits more social development, try near-by Black Sun, the only bar worth a look-in.
Holiday Inn’s new image is squeaky clean and smart, with the atrium-style lobby’s light-wood minimalism extended to the 319 rooms. While not trying to punch above its weight, rooms are slick, and tick all the modern-traveller boxes: LCD TV, Broadband access, laptop safe, bath and shower combo, large windows, choice of hard and soft pillows and deep carpets. There are ten meeting rooms and a 900-capacity pillar-less ballroom for on-the-hoof conference calls or more substantial gatherings. English speakers may struggle with more complex demands. The hardware is in place but software issues still remain.
Still in Chengyang, a little further towards the city centre but still ten minutes drive from the airport, is Doubletree by Hilton. The 320 rooms will be joined by another 100 once renovations are completed. Attractive browns and creams give a light business touch to 35sq m rooms, which offer Broadband access, LCD TV, iron and ironing board, laptop safe, and Hilton’s signature bed. A glass wall separates the bathroom, which has a rain shower and Crabtree and Evelyn amenities. A spa has just opened and large conferencing facilities are planned for the end of 2010. With the passage of time and improved English language capabilities, asking for a complimentary Doubletree cookie will get even easier.
Qingdao business hotels, centre
Staking out the space in between coast and airport in the growing CBD spread, Le Meridien is set to open at the end of 2009. Hotels are not just hotels in Qingdao, and Le Meridien is no exception: four towers house a 348-room hotel, Wanda Plaza shopping mall, cinema, apartment and office tower, and conference centre. Good-sized 40sq m rooms and 80sq m suites include a 37-inch plasma TV, Internet, rainshower and separate bath in slick modern surrounds. Stepping outside of the coastal cluster, Le Meridien should shake things up in the local hotel scene. A Four Seasons and a Sheraton are also expected to join the ranks of Qingdao five-star hotels next year.
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| InterContinental Qingdao/ photo: hotel |
Topping the list of the best Qingdao business hotels (with a strong leisure appeal) is InterContinental Qingdao. Right on the coast, neighbouring the Olympic Sailing Centre, InterContinental’s previous incarnation was the 2008 Olympic Village. As a result, the four-tower hotel is vast with 438 rooms and an impressive lobby with more than enough nooks, water features and design flourishes to keep a small child, or jetlagged businessman, entertained for hours. The hotel also boasts two yachts, docked in the marina and available for hire. Rooms are not for the technologically faint-hearted. Everything is mechanised, from the curtains (bathroom window included) to the city guide available on your 42-inch swivel IP television. Bathrooms are large and spoiling with separate bath, rain shower and British-brand Natural Products toiletries. Practicalities are not forgotten amidst the gadgetry – you’ll find an iron and ironing board, small safe with power, Bose sound system, and WiFi (Rmb100/day). Deluxe Ocean rooms have unadulterated views over the marina and Qingdao’s miniature opera house and lighthouse.
If pushing the proverbial yacht out, two Aqua suites have outdoor terraces and Jacuzzis overlooking the Yellow Sea. The centrepiece of the Club Lounge is its window, which affords the long room floor to ceiling views of Qingdao’s coast. Facilities include the city’s only in-hotel wedding chapel, a 478-capacity auditorium, 600-capacity ballroom and 18 function or meeting rooms.
Set further back from the beach, Crowne Plaza has been a Qingdao hotel stalwart for over a decade. The hotel is well-placed in the middle of the entertainment district close to Hisense and Sunshine Plazas, and also has its own small designer brand enclave, Brise Marine, offering Louis Vuitton, Emporio Armarni, Bang and Olufsen, and Strellson. Room décor is classic and comfortable, with 388 rooms, including 178 suites, in cream and beige. Standard rooms start from 26sq m (deluxe is 39sq m) and all include a “master cabinet” – a bedside table with light controls and sound system, a small safe, TV, fax machine, Broadband, coffee and tea facilities, iron and board, and in the bathroom, hairdryer, scales and a bathtub. Renovations are ongoing to replace box TVs with LCD TVs.
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| Shangri-La Qingdao/ photo: hotel |
Crowne Plaza’s main draw is its service. Long serving staff and a helpful concierge speak good English and are known for a service that goes beyond the expected level. Also well-regarded in the hotel is Café Asia, one of six restaurants, has an open kitchen buffet featuring Brazilian, Indian and Mongolian cuisine. The comprehensive in-room business facilities and access to four ballrooms, five function and nine meeting rooms makes Crowne Plaza a top choice among Qingdao business hotels.
Just along the road from Crowne plaza is Copthorne Hotel Qingdao, which offers four-star accommodations in 455 basic rooms with free WiFi, small LCD TV, and large safe. The hotel caters largely to groups. Staff may struggle with English-speakers.
Walk into the City Wing of twelve-year-old Shangri-La Hotel Qingdao and you will be confronted with low-ceilings, dated furniture and an ick-factor blue and yellow colour scheme that hasn’t been updated in a decade. Step across to the Valley Wing and vertiginous ceilings and soaring Chinese fabric mural, blown glass chandelier and a smart, attractive burnished gold colour scheme hint at something entirely different. The 501-room City Wing is to undergo a complete renovation at the beginning of next year. City Wing rooms do not disappoint, offering 37sq m with glass work desk, free Internet, iron and board, box TV, large chunky safe, big mirrors, sunken bath and separate shower (combined in Superior rooms). Valley Wing rooms are more impressive still. Guest rooms start on the seventh floor, with twin vanities, second LCD TV, large rainshower and L’Occtaine toiletries in the bathroom. Décor is sumptuous in gold and redwood with antiques, high ceilings, 42” TV, laptop safe, iron and board and large sofa.
Dine at funky Café Yum, designed by Japanese Super Potato or meet in the 2,000sq m pillar-less ballroom. Shangri-La knows that what it currently lacks in the older City Wing it makes up for in service: “over 100 staff have been in service the whole 12 years [Shangri-La Qingdao] has been open” says Sunny Zhang, Director of Communications, celebrating her own tenth anniversary at the hotel. Shangri-La – the oldest and still one of the most impressive, rounds off our review of Qingdao’s top range international business and leisure hotels.
Old town and local hotels
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| Swish Crowne Plaza/ photo: hotel |
While local five-star hotels in this area may not carry an international brand name, the staff is often proficient in English, and superbly welcoming to foreigners. The Seaview Garden Hotel Qingdao was a favourite of the British Sailing Team when they stayed for the 2008 Olympics and as a result has seen many pretenders pop up in the surrounding area. I spotted Seaview Hotel, Garden Hotel and even Seaview Garden Hotel, so make sure every word is in place before making a booking. The real McCoy Seaview Garden Hotel Qingdao is a complex of buildings of varying age and distinction, overlooking the Yellow Sea. European-style architecture is very “ancient Greece” with lots and lots of marble, statue bedecked fountains and sweeping staircases, and some Chinese dark wood thrown in for good measure. The effect is not altogether bad.
Choose from “Guests Building” and “Distinguished Guests Building” and 198 rooms. The structure has been a hotel for 20 years, with the newest block built in 2006. This houses 71 rooms with “Distinguished” on the fifth floor and “Executive” (40-80sq m) on the ninth. Internet and fax is free, as is an endless supply of green tea. In room find a small safe, glass work desk, CD player, iron and board, LCD TV, separate bath and hairdryer. We recommend booking the top floor for the unusual sloping roof and window, and good views.
Haiqing Hotel, even closer to the beach, and rising up from the sea front, has four buildings, two connected by a glass walkway. The older, mid-range offering has rooms around two atriums, which contain a “beer garden” (complete with lurid green carpet) and a classic Chinese teahouse. Rooms are simple and comfortable, with a separate lounge area crammed with sofas, a compact bathroom (some with bright gold glitter sink), box TV, bath and shower combo, and non-electric square safe. Internet is free. Moving on to A building is like stepping into a different hotel – staff even wear different uniforms. Modernity is spelt out in bright white marble and oversized chairs, with not one, but two sweeping staircases. Large rooms have pale, IKEA-like furnishings, good-sized bathrooms with black tiled floors, free Internet and a small balcony. In some rooms the work desk has been placed directly below a large LCD TV. The “his” and “hers” bathrobes are a neat touch, and the open bedside wardrobe lends a resort feel to the room. Building A also hosts a small Japanese restaurant, and a good Indian restaurant called Yamuna.
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| Clearsea Arts Hotel/ photo: hotel |
An Olympic hop, skip and jump into the tourist fanned flames of eastern Qingdao and you’ll find a whole host of local hotels. There are the bizarre, like the bright purple, 51-room Vienna Hotel close to Qingdao city landmark May Fourth Square, and Music Square with its statue of Beethoven – the good citizens of Qingdao seem to have a thing about him. The grand, old-world Prince Hotel on Taiping road enjoys one of the finest locations, with views of Zhangshou Pier. Named after Prince Heinrich, the hotel has a century-long history, originally built in 1899. It has been renovated since then, and rooms are still very European, with balconies and lots of chintzy wallpaper.
The best local, independent hotel that once housed Mao Zedong’s security personnel, is The Clearsea Arts Hotel. The 50 modern rooms are spread over three main buildings: flagship Blue Castle, all-suite Red Castle and standard-room Green Castle. With design splashes fairly soaking the place, furry cushions, furry lamps and lots of monochrome shouldn’t distract from the large, comfortable rooms with LCD TV, Internet, minibar and lots of modern art and artefacts on the walls – and floors. Clearsea Arts Hotel heads the independent hotels for style and interest, but start stretching those pockets as high-design doesn’t come cheap. If a stay is out of reach, visit the Coffee House or one of the restaurants for Hong Kong-style hotpot or Japanese cuisine.
There are scores more local Qingdao business hotels with service and style ranging from class to crass. Take your pick. Time will tell if Qingdao turns out to be more than good weather, great seafood and fresh beer. But at Rmb1.5 a pint, who’s complaining?
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