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Lying on the south coast of the Shandong Peninsula, Qingdao is a city of
picturesque red ?¡ìC tiled roofs nestled between green hills and blue sea. The
mild climate, the bathing beach, and Mount Laoshan make Qingdao a popular health
and holiday resort, particularly in summer when visitors come here in droves for
sightseeing and escaping the heat.
Qingdao is also an industrial city and a major foreign trade port. Its
mineral water, wine, and excellent Tsingtao Beer are world-famous. Among the
local arts and crafts, shell carvings are especially popular with tourists.
The Pier
The concrete pier is the symbol of the city. It was originally a wooden
structure built in 1890 during the reign of the Emperor Guang Xu of the Qing
Dynasty. Ten meters wide and stretching four hundred meters into the sea, the
pier ends in a colorful two-story octagonal building, the Wave Stopping Pavilion
(Huilange). With its carved beams and painted eaves, this romantic pavilion is
an enchanting sight by moonlight.
The Beach
Starting from Cape of Peach (Taipingqiao), the most beautiful section of the
beach at Qingdao includes Fushan, Zhanshan, Taipingshan, and Huiquanjiao. The
limpid water, wide beach, and soft sand make it ideal for sunbathing, swimming,
and other marine sports.
Lu Xun Park
Formally called Seaside Park, this park is adjacent to the bathing beach and
is a good place to picnic within view of the sea. Li Bai, a famous poet of the
Tang Dynasty, once compared the place to a fairyland by the sea. The memorial
archway of the park is still inscribed with the words ???Wonderland on the Sea.??¨¤
The park contains an aquarium and an aquatic museum, with a big seal pool
nearby.
Zhongshan Park
Qingdao??£¤s biggest park is located on Huiquan Hill near the seaside; it has
been called the ???Flower Garden of the East China Sea.??¨¤ Among its many flower
gardens are a peony garden, a garden of sweet osmanthus, a magnolia garden, and
a Chinese rose garden. There are also many varieties of trees here; in the
spring the cherry blossoms are a major attraction.
Laoshan Mountain
In the southern part of the Shandong Peninsula, and 20 kilometers east of
Qingdao, Mount Laoshan rises majestically from the sea, highlighted by strange
rocks and precipitous cliffs. Grass and trees flourish on the mountain as the
area has abundant rainfall. It is said that the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty
(221-207 B.C.) once came here in search of elixirs. A huge rock inscribed with
the words ???waves blending into the sky??¨¤ is said to be where the emperor once
stood when he climbed Laoshan. The mountain became a Taoist shrine during the
Song Dynasty (960-1279) and the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) when many Taoist
temples were built here. Legends described the mountain as a place of mystery
and wonder, it was regarded as a residence of immortals.
The summit can be reached by three routes. Along the south route, the climber
will find Genghis Khan??£¤s Supreme Purity Temple (Taiqinggong). This Taoist
temple is composed of Three Emperors Hall (Sanhuangdian), with its towering
cypresses over two thousand years old; Three Officials Hall (Sanguandian); and
Three Purity Hall (Sanqingdian), with its Magic Water (Shenshui) Spring.
The north route zigzags among grotesquely shaped rocks and cliffs and offers
many breathtaking views, including Three Steps in Succession (Sanbujin), Ladder
in the Sky (Shangtianti), and Terrace for Meeting Immortals (Huixiantai). At
strip of Sky (Yixiantian) the overhanging precipices are particularly thrilling.
The Terrace for Meeting Immortals, rising more than a hundred meters above the
ground like a tower, is also called Dressing Terrace (Shuzhuangtai) ?¡ìC a
folktale says that fairies used to dress themselves at the top.
Along the middle route, visitors can see Laoshan Springs, Regarded as
???magic??¨¤ since ancient times, the springwater comes from four directions: Nine
Wter (Jiushui), Inner Nine Water (Neijiushui), Outer Nine Water (Waijiushui),
and South Nine Water (Nanjiushui). Bottled Laoshan mineral water is a popular
beverage in China.
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