Qingdao, the host city of the sailing regattas during the 2008 Olympics, is famed for its production of Tsingtao beer. Established in 1903 by German settlers in Tsingtau (now Qingdao) within the Kiautschou Bay Leased Territory, the brewery has earned global recognition. Moreover, Qingdao annually celebrates its beer culture with the Qingdao International Beer Festival, widely regarded as Asia’s largest beer festival and affectionately called the Asian Oktoberfest.
Although the majority of Qingdao locals understand Mandarin, it’s common for them to naturally switch to the Qingdao dialect when conversing. Notably, the Qingdao dialect lacks uniformity across the city, with different neighborhoods like Zhanshan, Xinjiazhuang, and Maidao each having their unique linguistic nuances.
The typical monthly expenses for a single individual living in Qingdao average around $1000. However, for a family of four, monthly costs can vary between $2000 and $2500.
The city and its urban districts are renowned for their picturesque beaches, attracting tourists from both domestic and international locations. Among the most favored places to swim are: Qingdao Bathing Beach #2 (第二海水浴场: 二浴海边), Golden Sand Beach (金沙滩), Shilaoren Beach (石老人滩), and Qingdao Bathing Beach #1 (第一海水浴场: 一浴海边).
Local Qingdao Q&A
Here is were you can ask specific questions about anything related to Qingdao City and/or any of its 7 urban districts and 5 county level cities (Shinan District, Shibei District, Sifang District, Licang District, Laoshan District, Chengyang District, Huangdao District, Jiaozhou City, Jiaonan City, Jimo City, Pingdu City, Laixi City). Registration is not required to make comments or ask questions, however, if you would like to publish your content please contact us.
I will be moving to Qingdao soon from Canada. Will my iPhone 12pro work with the Chinese Sim card? Thank you in advance
yes
Yes，of course
Is there a place to get fingerprints done in Qingdao?
Does anyone know of a driving school that can teach foreigners in Qingdao? this will be my first licence. Thanks
In 1939 and 1940, my mother and I resided in Tsingtao while my father’s ship USS Augusta operated out of that city. I have many photographs taken there and wish to write up a memoir of my experiences there. I understand there is a city archives. How may I contact that agency to possibly obtain background material on places and people there at that time, for example, we resided in a pension operated by an exiled Russian count. We visited the beaches of the area, I played at the race course where I encountered Japanese soldiers in exercises, we shopped in the city, went to church there, etc.
Is there any information/bus maps in English that specify which bus routes are wheelchair accessible? Also are there wheelchair accessible taxis that wheelchair lifts or ramps?
Hello. I’m a teacher of English and I have a wish to work as an English teacher in China. Can you give advice how I can find a job in your city?
Is it possible to buy a clothes dryer? Where and phone number if possible or best options.
On Feb. 19th of 2019, Where will the Lantern Festival be held? Where can I see dancing and activity? I am asking about Qingdao only.
Hi there! I’ll be visiting Qingdao starting this Thurs and wondering if anyone knew of any good in home nursing/caregiver services. I’m visiting my grandmother who probably will need hospice/palliative care soon and would like to get her taken care of while I am visiting. Thanks!
Hi there moving to Qingdao next month. Looking for a some tennis courts and people to play with. Any suggestions? Thanks
Hi all, I have been living in Huangdao for few weeks now, with my husband. I would like to know if other expats are living in this district, to catch up, have good moments together and share information. I am also interested to know if there are mandarin lessons organised nearby, and how to move around with public transports. Many thanks. PS: how is it possible to contact “ThatsQingdao.com” to register?
Hi Paola, how do you find living there? I’ve been offered a job near Wanda Movie Metropolis and my wife and two year old are a little apprehensive
Is there any age limit for renewing drivers licence in QD?
Once over 18 years old can have a driver licence in China. If it is your first time apply you will need find a training school, after passing driving and written tests you will get your licence.
I might be moving to Qingdao next August to take up a job. However, I have 2 dogs and need to know if there is a city limit on dogs. Although I have seen an article saying that there is a one dog limit, a native resident of Qingdao recently told me that there is no limit. I really need to know the situation as I cannot take the job if there is a one dog limit. Is there a one dog limit? If so, is there a way to get around it? For example, paying a fine to have another dog? Really appreciate any help with this.
No pet limited here
Where can I find a place to print documents from an IPhone? Thank you.
Anyplace with a WiFi enabled printer should work.
My daughter has joined in Qingdao medical college. Can anyone tell me if rhere s any market or shop inside the campus or if the students will be taken for shopping? If yes then when?
Do expats drive in qingdao? I have seen that getting a licence is quite straight forward. What about getting a car? Is it safe to drive around? I have two small children and getting around in public transport seems overly challenging. One is a newborn. Any advice or help is greatly appreciated.
Yes you can drive in Qingdao, however,international driving license does not work here. If you stayed in China for more than six months with your home country’s driving license, you could replace it with a Chinese one by going to Traffic management station(I dont know the English name for it, 3 Poyanghu Rd.). Also, u need to take a theory test in English before you can get a Chinese license. If you do not have a driving license from your home country, then you have to find a driving school and starts like every other person in China.
We are headed there next month with 3 small children! I’d love to meet you there. We plan to use taxis. We have ordered Mifold car seats for longer trips, but I’m told taxi drivers won’t have patience for them around town. We are also bringing a Joovy sit & stand stroller.
Hello, does anyone know of a forum for Weifang to the west of Qingdao? Moving there in the next two weeks .. will need a good mobile phone for text to USA or calls- but cheap. also looking to see how to access cash from my USA bank. Thanks all!
Cell phones seem a bit more pricy in China and I use e mail and QQ International as an alternative to texting or calling the US. Some western phones will accept a China SIM card and some will not work well with the Chinese SIM cards. QQ International downloads free and gives you instant chat with translation. It is widely used in China. ATM’s that take Master Card or Visa are common, most banks have 24 hour ATM access. Sorry, I don’t know about Weifang. I’ll ask my girlfriend later today and see if she is aware of any forum for Weifang.
Hi, Going to study at Qingdao University this summer. I am also a competitive swimmer. Is there a pool on campus? Thanks
I don’t think they have a pool nor a swim team, I’ll check into it further and get back to you.
Thanks Crystal.
Hello!
I just arrived a few days ago in Qingdao, I live in Shinan district, and I’d like to buy a bus card. Where can I find a place to buy one? Thanks in advance.
Hey Nicolas, hopefully you found out, but if you haven’t, or just in case someone else needs to know… To get a bus card, you have to go to Bank of Communications, any branch should be able to provide you with a bus card. The cost is 15RMB for the card itself then a minimum 50RMB initial deposit. Ask for a 公共汽车卡 (Gong Gong Qi Che Ka). Used to, they had separate cards for this, but nowadays they just open a bank account for you, and give you a bank card with a RFID chip in it to be used with the buses. They’ll deposit the money into your bank account, and show you how to use the machine for sending that balance to your chip for use on the buses.
There is an information building on Yanji Lu, just west of Wanda Plaza. They sell bus cards and can recharge your card when needed. Yanji Lu is about 2 km away from May 4 Square on Shandong Road. You can take bus #224 from the intersection of Hong Kong Road and and Shandong Road, get off at the library stop. Yanji is the first street to your right as you exit the bus. The Information building is on your left in about 200 meters.
Hi, I have been here for two months and am looking for somewhere to board my JR Terrier about mid October for two weeks as we have a family wedding to attend, can anyone help, would even be interested in boarding someone else’s in exchange, Many thanks.
We are considering moving to Qingdao and it will be first time living in China. The air quality is main concern and it does not seem good in Qingdao. The winter months seem quite poor especially. What would 2 young and healthy children do during such high pollution days? just remain indoors? Thx for any comments.
Yes, the air quality in Qingdao is deteriorating and officials have indicated that it will continue in the short term – next few years. I would suggest buying an air purifier that removes PM2.5 for your home and pay attention to the air quality reports. If you or your children venture out on “bad air days” it is recommended that you wear a disposable respirator.
Hi, I’ve recently moved to Qingdao and need to buy an air purifier for my apartment. Do you have any recommendations regarding where I can purchase one? Thanks for your help!
Hello Henry, The last winter was indeed not pleasant. Too many cars and too much smoke from the heating plants. My first thought about your questions would actually be: There’s not much to do outside anyway. It’s cold and windy on many days (which can help against the pollution), so being outside is not very pleasant. There are some activities that you can do inside and some play groups for children as well. There are swimming pools and so on. I would suggest to also buy some good filter masks for those months. Keep your activities outside down and do things inside instead. And monitor the air quality through websites. If it’s too bad then just watch a nice movie at home. You will see that Qingdao is actually still a nice place to live though. You can enjoy the beach and the mountains (where the air is cleaner) which is much nicer than living in big cities like Shanghai. The late autumn is very nice and makes you forget the winter months. I would still recommend Qingdao.
Why people think air inside anywhere would be any better? I mean isn’t it obvious air always merges into anywhere? Or do we actually think dust cleaning will clean the air also? Considering that I did some research and it turned out that air inside any room is even worse. First exchange with the outside air is relatively slow so dirty air remains inside and second any moves will lift those slowly dropping particles again and again.
This is one of your fellow expats living it up in Qingdao! I was wondering if anyone in the community had any information about the laws of the beach or if they know the right person to talk to about doing an event on the beach. I have a friend who would like to throw a beach party to promote his bar that is opening up in a couple of weeks. I was hoping someone could help me get some information, point me in the right direction, or even introduce me to whomever owns the beach. I was thinking that No. 2 bathing beach would be the best because of it’s “exclusive” feel and location. Any information would be appreciated!
Hey Niclas, I don’t know the exact law but from experience I do know that there are quiet a few restrictions. As far as I know, BBQ is now only officially allowed on the western part of Shilaoren Beach (in front of the Hyatt). I did see a few people on other beaches as well but there’s no guarantee that it’s allowed there. Beach #2 is a historical beach so they will have more controls there. I don’t think that BBQ will be allowed there at all. What kind of party does your friend want to do though? If you only bring some drinks, music and a football, then that should be fine. Just keep it low key and you might be fine. I’ll keep my ears and eyes open and can post here if I hear something. Cheers and enjoy your party!
How can I send info for events calender?
Please email your events to qingdaochinaguide ~at~ gmail.com. Please include who, what, when, where, and why.
What can my 14 year old son do in Qingdao? He is home schooled and we live in Chengyang District and he has nothing to do, what can he do to make friends?
I am looking to buy men’s left handed golf clubs here in Qingdao. Could anyone tell me where I can buy them apart from at the golf courses.
@Terry and Paul
There’s a golf store on hong kong east rd near ocean univ. It’s overpriced imo, but the only one I’ve come across. Also, there seems to be a driving range on Heilonjiang rd that looks pretty run down.
I think the golf shop Jason is referring to is about the 8500 block of Hong Kong Road, on the left if you’re headed east. There’s a Bank of China in the same strip mall.
Does anyone know a good shopping area for golf clubs? I want to purchase good quality clubs at a reasonable price. Also what area is good for sporting goods shopping in general. ~Thanks.
Want to explore old town Qingdao in a May trip. Will be coming from the Bay Area in the US. What hotels are within walking distance of old town and do I need a guide? ~Thanks.
How do i get from Qingdao Intl Airport to the train station in order to catch a train to Weifang? Or is there a better/quicker way to reach Weifang? Thanks 🙂
I am moving to qingdao with two small children and a newborn. Is it difficult to find baby stores, particularly a double pram? Should I buy before we arrive or are these readily available?
There are endless stores for kids in Qingdao. Harbour City near May 4 Square, Carrefour, Shine City, and Aeon to name just a few. This is a city of 8.71 million. There was a baby and small childrens shop on nanjing Road near the KFC last time I was in that area.
Are there any schools or good daycare centers that take 18 month olds (preferably ones that will expose kids to Mandarin)? How much does it cost?
Hi DW, the Montessori Children’s House at QAIS has a newly-opened Toddler program, for students age 18 months to 3 years. There are two sessions per week, each for three hours. The cost from the end of February to June is approximately ¥15,000. We are located just south of Guoxin Stadium, one block west of Hai’er Lu. QAIS is a Full International Member of the American Montessori Society, and the first school in Asia to pursue AMS accreditation. The Montessori method nurtures children’s innate curiosity about the world around them, and helps them to develop independence and love of learning from an early age. It is an ideal foundation for our hands-on, inquiry-based 1-12 programs. Our students receive activity demonstrations in English, but they are indeed exposed to Mandarin. In the Early Childhood classrooms (age 3-6), they have a Mandarin circle as well as English circle every day. We will return from New Year Holiday on February 20th. I would be very happy to show you the Children’s House, and to introduce you to our program! Eric [QAIS Communications Director, Tel: 139-6395-6913]
My wife is a chinese citizen and resides in Qingdao. I am a foreigner intending to buy a residential property in Qingdao. Can this be done? If it can, are there any conditions to fulfill and the necessary procedures. Please advise. Thanks!
This can be done. There are a few regulations that you can read about here: https://www.thatsqingdao.com/qingdao-expat-real-estate-regulations/
I would suggest contacting Crystal over at Qingdao Real Estate & Relocation (QDRE) when you arrive in Qingdao and are ready to purchase property.
Hi! I live in Huangdao and I’d like to buy a bus card… seems tough to find the places where this can be done! Any advice, or should I just head over to QD? Many thanks!
There are three places in HuangDao that you can buy the QinDao Bus Card. Don’t forget to bring your passport as well! (1) 419 ChangJiang Middle Road ShiJi ShangCheng 3F B District, near the HuangDao Jusco / 黄岛区长江中路419号佳世客对面,世纪商城客服网点（世纪商城三楼B区）. (2) 43 TangDao Road, HuangDao District / 黄岛客服网点（黄岛区唐岛路43号）. (3) 161 WuYiShan Road, south of the Bank of Communications / 武夷山路客服网点（武夷山路161号交通银行开发区支行营业大厅南侧）.
I just arrived to Qingdao and I want to get a mobile phone number (I already have my iPhone bought abroad). Where’s the best place I could go to buy my phone line were I can have information or somebody who can talk in english to know what’s better for me. I have seen many China Mobile stores but I have a lot of questions and want to see the different plans to select the one that adapt to my needs (I need a little amount of time to talk and a lot of time to be able to browse the internet). I don’t want to buy a new phone nor be on a long-term contract because I might stay here in Qingdao only for 6 months. Any recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks in advance
Hi Luis, it depends on your usage and amount of travel out of Qingdao … but I think the best one for you is China Mobile’s GoTone, Internet – surfing promotion. There is a China Mobile Office on FuZhou South Road. They should have at least one representative that speaks English.
I will be in similar situation soon…was told calls on my iphone using sprint plan would cost 20 cents per minute….never thought about buying a phone while in Qingdao…can you tell me more about the advantages of buying a phone to use while in Qingdao?
Hello,
I would like to know how to reach Guilin from Qingdao. Thanks!
Unfortunately, there are no direct trains or buses that go to Guilin from Qingdao. I would suggest taking the overnight train to GuangZhou East or the fast train to Shanghai and from either of those destinations you can easily reach Guilin by train.
Can anyone tell me where you can catch the Qingdao double decker sightseeing bus and how you buy tickets? Thanks, Kevin.
You can catch the bus throughout Qingdao City, Laoshan, and even Huangdao. You can buy the tickets when you board the bus. For more information refer to Qingdao Sightseeing Tourist Bus.