Qingdao

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青岛市
Qīngdǎo Shì
Abbreviation: 青 or 胶 (Pinyin: Jiāo)
Image:ChinaShandongQingdao.png
Administration Type	Sub-provincial city
City Seat	Shinan District (Template:Coor dm)
Area	10,654 km²
Coastline	862.64 km (inclusive of offshore islands) 730.64 km (exclusive of islands)
Population	7,311,200 (2004) The urban area measures 1,102 square kilometers and urban residents total 2,584,000. [1].
GDP - Total - Per Capita	¥216.38 billion (2004) ¥29,596 (2004)
Major Nationalities	Han - 95.48%
County-level divisions	12
Township-level divisions
CPC Committee Secretary	Du Shicheng
Mayor	Xia Geng (夏耕)
Area code	532
Postal Code	266000 (Shinan District) 266100-266700 (Other areas)
License Plate Prefix	鲁B

Qingdao Template:Audio (Template:Zh-stpw), well-known to the West by its Postal System Pinyin transliteration Tsingtao, is a sub-provincial city in eastern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It borders Yantai to the northeast, Weifang to the west and Rizhao to the southwest. Lying across the Shandong Peninsula while looking out to the Yellow Sea, Qingdao today is a major seaport, naval base, and industrial center. It also the site of the Tsingtao Brewery which produces beer.

1 Additional Names
2 Administration
3 Geography and climate
4 History
5 Demographics
6 Economy
7 Transportation
8 Culture
9 Tourism
10 Education
11 Sports
12 Sister cities
13 External links

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Additional Names

Qingdao was formerly known as Jiao'ao (胶澳).
Qindao (琴岛; lit. "Stringed Instrument Isle") is an additional modern name for the area which according to locals refers to the shape of the coastline.

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Administration

The sub-provincial city of Qingdao administers 12 county-level divisions, including 7 districts and 5 county-level cities.

Shinan District (市南区)
Shibei District (市北区)
Sifang District (四方区)
Licang District (李沧区)
Laoshan District (崂山区)
Chengyang District (城阳区)
Huangdao District (黄岛区)
Jimo City (即墨市)
Jiaozhou City (胶州市)
Jiaonan City (胶南市)
Pingdu City (平度市)
Laixi City (莱西市)

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Geography and climate

Template:ZHdot

Qingdao is located at the southern tip of the Shandong Peninsula. It borders three prefecture-level cities, namely Yantai to the northeast, Weifang to the west, and Rizhao to the southwest. The city's total jurisdiction area occupies 10 654 km². The city is located in flatlands, with mountains spurring up nearby. The highest elevation in the area is 1133 m above sea level. The city has a 730.64-kilometer coastline. Five significant rivers that flow for more than 50 km can be found in the region.

Qingdao enjoys mild summers and relatively warm winters, with the average July temperature at 23.8°C and the average January temperature at -0.7°C. The city gets most rain in June and July, at an average of 150 mm.

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History

For details on the colonial period, see Jiaozhou Bay

Image:Qingdao-city-map-1912-in-german-from-madrolles-guidebook-to-northern-chin

The area of which Qingdao is located today was called Jiao'ao (胶澳) when it was administered by the Qing Dynasty. In 1891, the Qing Government decided to make the area a primary defence base against naval attacks. Thus began the construction of the city of Qingdao. In 1897, the city became a German concession under a forced invasion and became a major German naval base in the Far East. This caused a great area of German influence within the whole of Shandong Province, including the founding of many breweries for beer including the Tsingtao Brewery.

After a British naval attack on the German colony, Japan occupied it in 1914 with British encouragement, after Japan had declared war on Germany during World War I. The failure of the Allied powers to restore Chinese rule to Shandong after the war triggered the May Fourth Movement.

The city reverted to Chinese Kuomintang (the ROC) rule in 1922. Renamed Qingdao in 1930, the city became a special administrative zone of the ROC Government. Japan re-occupied Qingdao in 1938 with its plans of territorial expansion onto China's coast. After World War II the KMT allowed Qingdao to serve as the headquarters of the Western Pacific Fleet of the US Navy. On 2nd June, 1949, the CPC-led Red Army entered Qingdao.

Since the 1984 inauguration of China's open-door policy to foreign trade and investment, Qingdao has developed quickly as a modern port city. It is now the headquarters of the Chinese navy's northern fleet.

QingDao is now a manufacturing center, and home to Haier Corporation a major electronics firm. It has recently experienced a rapid growing period, with a new central business district created to the east of the older business district. This new district boasts one of the world's tallest buildings in the Bank of China Mansion. Outside of the center of the city there is a large industrial zone, which includes chemical processing, rubber and heavy manufacturing, in addition to a growing high tech area.

Image:Qingdao-map-1906.jpg

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Demographics

By the end of 2002, Qingdao is estimated to be the home for more than 7 million inhabitants, of which around 2.6 million is residing in the Qingdao urban area. Another estimated 2.3 million reside in other cities under Qingdao's jurisdiction. The annual number of births is calculated around 82,000, with a birth rate of 11.26/1000 population, and a death rate of 6.93/1000 population, both calculated on an annual basis. This results to a 4.33/1000 population growth rate overall. Living standards are among the leading Chinese cities, with relatively high incomes for families.

Qingdao is home to 38 ethnic minorities, albeit very insignificantly, with minority population only totalling around 10 thousand by 2000, 0.14% of the city's total population.

Qingdao boasts a vibrant expatriate community. The largest group of foreign residents is Koreans, amounting to over 60,000 individuals in 2005.

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Economy

Qingdao is perhaps most famously known for the Tsingtao Brewery, which German settlers founded in 1903, and which produces Tsingtao beer, now the most famous beer in China and known worldwide.

In 1984 the Chinese government named a district of Qingdao a Special Economic and Technology Development Zone (SETDZ). Along with this district, the entire city had gone through amazing development of secondary and tertiary industries. As an important trading port in the province, Qingdao flourishes with foreign investment and international trade. South Korea and Japan in particular made extensive investment in the city. At least 30,000 South Korean nationals reside there. Construction proceeds at a relatively fast pace in Qingdao. Famous corporations include Haier.

In terms of primary industry, Qingdao has an estimated 50,000 acres (200 km²) of arable land. Qingdao has a zig-zagging pattern coastline, and thus possesses an invaluable stock of fish, shrimp, and other sea resources. Qingdao is also home to a variety of mineral resources. Up to thirty different kinds have been mined. Qingdao's wind power electricity generation performs at among the best levels in the region.

The GDP per capita comprised ¥29,596 (ca. US$3,659) in 2004. The GDP has grown steadily at an average pace of 14% annually.

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Transportation

The Orient Ferry connects Qingdao with Shimonoseki, Japan. There are numerous smaller ferries connecting Qingdao with South Korea as well.

The Qingdao Liuting International Airport, 36 kilometres away from city centre, is served by 13 domestic and international airlines, operating 58 routes of which 10 are international and regional. It is estimated that in 2002 over 2.3 million people, including 450,000 international travelers, were transported through the airport.

Qingdao is home to one of China's largest seaports. Cooperative relations have been established with 450 ports in 130 countries worldwide. The 1999 annual cargo handling capacity was 72 million tons. Exported commodities amounted to more than 35 million tons and 1.5 million TEUs.

Qingdao's railway development was picked up during the late 90's. At the present, domestic rail lines connect Qingdao with Lanzhou, Chengdu, Xi'an, Zhengzhou, Jinan and Jining. There are a total of 1,145km of roads in the Qingdao area, with nearly 500km of expressways. Expressways connect Qingdao with Jinan.

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Culture

Through the unique architecture in some parts of Qingdao, one can draw the inference that the city is a cultural combination of east and west. Most people who reside in the Qingdao urban area speak Mandarin Chinese with a special local accent known as "Qingdao Hua" (Qingdao Dialect, not to be confused with "Shandong Hua" which is spoken more widely across the Shandong Province. Cuisine is predominantly Lu Cai (the Shandong regional dishes.) The area's most famous festival is the Qingdao International Beer Festival, held annually since 1991.

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Tourism

Qingdao attracts many tourists due to its seaside setting and excellent weather. Parks, beaches and sculpture — as well as some unique architecture — line the shore. Qingdao's major attractions include:

Ba Da Guan, the older area of town with some surviving German architecture.
Huadong Winery
Jiaozhou Governor's Hall, former seat of the present and previous two governments.
Laoshan, a famous Taoist mountain.
Lu Xun Park, named after Lu Xun, a famous modern Chinese writer.
Qingdao Beer Museum, on the site of the old brewery.
Qingdao Naval Museum
Qingdao International Beer City, the primary site of the annual Qingdao International Beer Festival.
Qingdao Underwater World
St. Michael's Cathedral, a Gothic/Roman cathedral designed by German architect Pepieruch, completed in 1934.
Underground World of Chinese Mythology, lifesize figures and groups depicting scenes from the Chinese mythology
Xiao Yu Shan (Little Fish Hill)
Zhan Qiao (Zhan Pier)
Zhanshan Temple, Qingdao's only Buddhist temple.

Image:Qingdao-panorama.gif

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Education

Post-secondary educational institutions in Qingdao include:

Ocean University of China (formerly Ocean University of Qingdao), the largest university of its kind in China
Qingdao University
Qingdao University of Science and Technology
Qingdao Hotel and Management College

Secondary School:

There are also several international schools in Qingdao. These include:

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Sports

Qingdao has long been a hub of professional sports in China. Clubs include:

Along with Beijing's winning bid to host the 2008 Summer Olympics, Qingdao will be the site for sailing events. These events will be held in Fushan Bay, near the city's central business district. A hotel and an international broadcasting center are under construction.

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