Qingdao, Shandong province

China's Top 10 Leisure Spots

Qingdao

The eastern seaside of Qingdao, East China's Shandong province

People walk on the Zhanqiao (trestle bridge), a scenic spot in Qingdao, East China's Shandong province

Tsingtao Brewery 青岛啤酒厂 is China's largest brewery. It was founded in 1903 by German settlers and now claims about 15% of domestic market share.The beer is produced in Qingdao in Shandong province (and more recently in other breweries owned by the company as well).

Tsingtao Beer, a well-hopped standard pilsner of 4.7% alcohol, is the flagship brew, accounting for most of the brewery's production. An unpasteurised version is sold as Tsingtao Draft Beer. Tsingtao Beer was long advertised as being "brewed with mineral water from the Laoshan Spring," which contributed to its characteristic flavor; however, this now applies only to beer produced in Qingdao, not to that produced in the company's other breweries. Originally, Tsingtao Beer was brewed in accordance with the German Reinheitsgebot ('Purity Law') of 1516, therefore the only ingredients that were used were water, barley, and hops. However, after privatization the recipe changed; like many other beers made in China, Tsingtao Beer contains a proportion of the less-expensive rice as an adjunct in the mash.(wikipedia)

Qingdao International Beer Festival
August 13th-28th (to be confirmed), 2011

A festival in honor of the nectar of the gods, beer -- how great is that?  Every summer, starting the second weekend of August, Qingdao hosts the largest beer festival in Asia with international breweries from all over the globe flocking to the sandy shores of China's Shandong Province.  If you are a serious drinker or a casual weekend enthusiast, you'll see the best of China's beer drinking culture at this event.  If karaoke is your thing, you can test your singing skills in front of huge crowds, and even buy a CD recording of your song if you so desire.

Picture huge tables filled with beer-swilling, elated Chinese and beautiful women performing on stage as the sound of Gan Bei ! (bottoms up) rings out across the numerous beer tents.  With music of all kinds featured at the numerous stage venues and beers from around the globe: Bittberger from Germany, Heineken from Holland, Pabst Blue Ribbon from the states, and of course China's Tsingtao, just to name a few, it truly is an international event that should not be missed.

The event lasts for two weeks and begins with a grand opening ceremony, followed by beer tasting, evening entertainment, drinking competitions, and concluded with a themed final ceremony.  Besides beer there's tons of food, both Chinese and Western, to gorge on when you get the munchies.  And don’t forget beautiful Shilaoren beach is just a 10 minute walk away!


As a foreigner, you'll be swamped with offers of free beers to "GanBei."  I've gone to the beer festival in the past and not had to buy a single beer.  The Chinese are so generous and kind, they are happy to show foreigners a good time.  I've seen only a couple of fights all the times I've been there, and that's pretty amazing considering the amount of drinking that's going on.  How good is the Qingdao Beer Festival?  I'm living in Southern China right now, and I'm taking a special trip up to Qingdao to make sure I'm there for the fourth year in a row.  Take it from a professional drinker, you'll have a good time!

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