The Qingdao area was called Jiaoao in the past. It was established in 1891 when the Qing Dynasty (1644 ~1911) government decided to build a defended town in the area.

    Located in the north of Shandong Peninsula, Qingdao covers an area of 11,282 square kilometers. It includes seven districts and five cities with about 8.5 million permanent residents. A coastal city, Qingdao is not only a popular tourism city for the environment and scenery, but also an important economic center with a strong economy.

    A youthful city

    DURING the past 120 years, Qingdao has experienced two world wars, but it is still a city of youth and passion, continuually improving to become a modern international city.

    It is one of the five biggest trading ports in China. Built in 1892, Qingdao Harbor has the largest container berth in the country and has built relationships with more than 450 ports in 150 countries and regions around the world. In 2010, cargo throughput was 350 million tons and container throughput was more than 12 million TEUs, ranking the seventh and tenth among all the ports in the world.

    Qingdao Liuting Airport has 96 domestic and international air routes to countries and regions such as Japan, South Korea and France. In 2010, more than 11 million passengers passed through the airport, and cargo volume was 164,000 tons. An important telecommunication hub, China-America and China-South Korea submarine cables all land in Qingdao.

    Qingdao was also the first city to pilot technologically creative projects. More than 30 percent of the nation’s scientific research in oceanography is conducted in the city. About 40 percent of the nation’s most prominent ocean researchers and 80 percent of leading academics in oceanography work in Qingdao. Export volume for marine products has topped the country for 20 successive years.

    A city of elegance

    The special location and long history have established Qingdao as a tourist destination since the 1920s. There is Laoshan Mountain, scenic bays and a world-class sailing center. There is also a large number of European-style buildings which are classic examples of world architecture. In 2010, there were 45 million Chinese and 1 million foreign visitors. Turnover in the tourism industry was about 58 billion yuan (US$8.9 billion).

    Housing, education and a social insurance system have all been developed.

    There have been many international sailing regattas, including the Beijing Olympics regatta in 2008.

    A blue city

    Among the first cities to open up in China, Qingdao has a national economic and technological zone, a high-tech industrial zone and a harbor zone.

    Several leading companies, including Haier, Hisense and Tsingtao Brewery, set up headquarters in Qingdao. There are two Chinese world brands, 34 top domestic brands and another 68 Chinese brands. Of these, Tsingtao Brewery is one of the world’s top 10 beer manufacturers, while Haier is the world’s leading brand in white home appliances.

    Qingdao has also built a modern marine industrial system and speeded up the development of creative technology and key industrial parks.

    A friendly city

    Qingdao has sister relationships with 17 countries and 19 cities. More than 2,000 overseas commercial organizations, companies and financial institutions have set up offices in the city. Almost 100 of the world’s top 500 enterprises have invested in 190 projects valued at more than US$35 billion yuan. In 2010, its import and export volumes totaled US$56.2 billion. Exports totaled US$33.4 billion.

    Qingdao is now concentrating on international markets, promoting industrial transformation and seeking further development.

    (Wang Yuanyuan)

    Qingdao records