Qingdao

Qingdao is a coastal city in Shandong Province, China. It isn't the provincial capital, but it has the strongest economy in the province. The waters around it are rich in seafood and marine resources, and the ocean economy is one of the city's main sources of income. Qingdao also ranks among the top cities in China for smart home appliances, rail transit equipment, and shipbuilding and offshore engineering equipment.

Foreign trade is another strength. The city is home to Qingdao Port, a world-class port whose trade routes reach more than 700 ports in over 180 countries and regions, keeping the city closely tied to global markets. That advantage has made Qingdao one of the most attractive places for foreign investment in northern China.

Qingdao is well known across China as a seaside travel destination, with a coastline stretching more than 800 kilometers. It has been named one of China's "happiest cities" several times. Most visitors come for the sea, and for the beer. As locals like to say, "Qingdao has two kinds of foam: one from the ocean, one from the beer." Every summer the city hosts the Qingdao International Beer Festival, which runs for about 30 days and is counted among the four largest beer festivals in the world. Qingdao even built a museum, the Tsingtao Beer Museum, to share that side of local life. So along with visiting the sights, eating seafood and drinking beer are things you shouldn't skip here.

You'll notice a lot of red-tiled roofs around the city. That goes back to the early modern period, when Qingdao was leased to Germany and the Germans put up many buildings in their own style. The look stuck, and the city has kept it ever since. Those red roofs speak to Qingdao's past as much as its present, and they've become part of what the city is.