Unlike many of China’s cities, Qingdao actually has a fair amount of things which children will find interesting and fun. The city has a nice balance of natural attractions and amusement centres where your kids can run wild. Between the mountains, the beaches and the fun parks, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Beaches
Most kids love the beach and with Qingdao's seaside location there are plenty of options to choose from. The beaches are a big attraction for the Chinese, but don’t expect a tropical paradise with powdery sand. During the summer months from June to September the beaches will be packed, but that’s half the fun. The seven main public beaches right in the urban area all have changing rooms with showers for a modest fee, as well as lifeguards and medical stations. Water sports such as water-skiing and parasailing can be enjoyed at most of these beaches. Huiquan Bathing Place, in Huiquan Bay, is famous for relatively soft sand, warm seawater and easy waves. It is open all day, free of charge and easily reached by bus or taxi. Golden Beach is another good choice for its tepid seawater and small crowds.

Ocean Park
This relatively new seaside amusement park was built in 1996 as part of the nicely developed Shilaoren National Holiday Resort. One of Qingdao’s most popular attractions, Ocean Park has modern amusement rides of all levels of thrill and sophistication such as giant water slides, spinning cars and roller coasters. The park’s seaside location also makes it ideal for beachcombing and boating. There are dozens of food stalls, souvenir stands and vendors to add to the fun, all at a very affordable entrance price.

Qingdao Pijiu Cheng
This European-flavoured amusement park about 15kms east of Qingdao is only open for two weeks during the infamous Tsingtao International Beer Festival, but if you are visiting in September you’ll really be in for a treat. Bavarian themes abound, with fun rides for the kids and drinking contests for adults. Although undeniably kitschy, this annual fun festival is well worth a look.

As a well-developed tourist destination, Qingdao offers plenty of cultural activities to keep you busy during your visit. Not only is this the birthplace of Taoism, with hundreds of temples scattered around the Laoshan Mountains, but the city itself is home to art galleries, architectural wonders and scenic natural parks. The variety of attractions is what draws the 15 million or so visitors to Qingdao every year.

Badaguan Scenic Area
First time visitors to this section of Qingdao’s old town may think they’ve mistakenly stepped out into Bavaria. Known as the Architecture Museum, this district boasts some 200 different styles of building which range from Dutch to German. Tiny lanes lined with lovely old fruit trees wind through the neighbourhood, creating the ambiance of being in Germany. It’s fairly bizarre, but also a quintessential aspect of this unique Chinese city.

Huashi Lou
Seemingly out of place in China, this Bavarian-style medieval castle was built in 1903 complete with towering turrets, balconies and Greek columns. It was originally built as a villa for a Russian aristocrat until it was taken over by the German governor. Chiang Kai-shek spent some secretive time here in 1946 planning the KMT’s next move. The views from the top are quite impressive and a German castle in northern China really sums up the flavour of Qingdao.

Jidu Jiaotang
Also known as the Protestant Church, this simple but stunning structure is one of the city’s most attractive sights. Designed and built by a German architect in 1908 to replicate a medieval European castle, the red tiled roof and green clock tower really make this place stand out. Fortunately, the building was spared the destruction of the Cultural Revolution since it wasn’t known as a church. You can climb to the top of the tower where the original bells still reside and marvel at the panoramic views which stretch out in all directions.

Qingdao Art Museum
To learn more about the heritage of Qingdao and the surrounding Shandong peninsula, pay a visit to this interesting and colourful art museum in the heart of the city. Built a while ago by rich Qingdao merchants as a centre for the city’s poor, this stunning building is now the home of a massive collection of Yuan, Ming and Wing Dynasty art, as well as a decent archaeological exhibit which illustrates the long history of Shandong.

Qingdao Yingbinguan
Built during the infamous German occupation period, this magnificent building is reminiscent of an old fortress with Tudor features. Originally the home of the German governor, the place looks like it stepped out of a fairy tale. For a short while in the 1930s it was a hotel which hosted the likes of Chairman Mao, but now it is a museum which everyone can enjoy. As one of the city’s finest representations of the German influence which swept over Qingdao, this building is worth a visit.

Taiqing Palace
Taiqing is the largest of the 72 temples erected along the steep slopes of the sacred Laoshan Mountains. Built more than 1,000 years ago at the height of the Song Dynasty, this lovely building is still is in surprisingly fine condition. There are 140 rooms and three massive halls inside and the famous Shengshui spring sits just outside. This clear blue pool is magical and is located next to a wall where Kublai Khan carved out religious inscriptions still legible today.

World of Tsingtao Beer
You really can’t mention Qingdao without the subject of beer coming up at some point. The city is home to China’s most popular brew, Tsingtao and visitors can now tour the original brewery which had been previously closed to the public. This must-see attraction is a nicely organised museum presenting the history of the beer, lots of interesting memorabilia and the actual bottling line. The tour terminates at the Tsingtao Bar, where all visitors are treated to a pitcher of beer and a souvenir. There is enough English signage in the museum to easily understand what’s being exhibited.

Zhan Bridge
This quintessential Qingdao landmark was first built in 1891 as a naval pier but now is one of the city’s premier tourist spots. The massive 440-metre long bridge is lined with lamps shaped like lotus flowers and supported by gigantic granite pillars. At the end of the bridge is an octagonal pavilion done in classical Chinese style, which makes a pleasant contrast to the European flavour saturating the city.

Although relatively unknown outside of northeastern China, Shandong cuisine has been extremely influential on classical Chinese cooking. The richly flavoured dishes of Shandong cuisine are always presented with the utmost elegance, a trait which makes this food a real pleasure to eat. Thanks to its seaside location, seafood plays a dominant role in many of the local menus. Visitors to Qingdao, which is considered the ‘cradle of Shandong cuisine’, will have no problem finding plenty of restaurants in a variety of styles to choose from. The city’s relationship with tourism ensures that both regional and international food is well-represented and prices come in all budgets so you can choose to splash out for a fine dining experience or keep it casual in one of the hundreds of local eateries.

Although Shandong cuisine is excellent in itself, visitors can also enjoy spicy Sichuan or thick sweet Shanghai dishes. Foreign restaurants serving Italian, German and Japanese food are prevalent as well. However, one culture which has a special relationship with Qingdao is Korea and the abundance of Korean food available here is impressive. The Qingdao Seafood Restaurant is often touted as Qingdao’s best place to experience local Shandong cuisine. Its beautiful seaside location offers romantic views which complement the amazing array of dishes laden with soy sauce and garlic.

The shopping potential of Qingdao is almost as good as the dining scene. Regional Shandong arts and crafts abound in a number of locations around the city. Naturally, the sea plays a big part in many of the handicrafts created by the locals. Some of the most popular items include a variety of ornate shell-ware creations and the distinctive hats with six sides traditionally worn by the people of Shandong. One of the best districts for shopping is the lovely old German quarter. Not only is the quaint atmosphere ideal for wandering and browsing, but the range of shops offers a taste of everything Qingdao has to offer.

Outdoor excursions in the Qingdao area revolve around the Laoshan Mountains and the Yellow Sea, which means lots of beach time fun and mountain hikes. No trip to Qingdao would be complete without a visit to the temples which dot Laoshan Mountain. There are several routes which take you up and around the thickly forested hills. If you need something more relaxing, simply head down to one of the seven beaches located right in the urban centre of Qingdao.

Beaches
The beaches in Qingdao help to make Qingdao a very popular holiday destination. The sand is golden and the waters clear, and sees hoards of Chinese flocking to the beaches to enjoy the sea, especially from June to September, when the place gets very crowded. There are seven public beaches right in Qingdao city which have showers and changing booths, as well as lifeguards and medical stations. Many water sports are offered at these beaches if you want to get active.

The creatively-named Number One Bathing Beach is Qingdao’s longest stretch of beach, but the sand is rather coarse and pebble-ridden. Number Two Bathing Beach is nicer and more secluded than most of the others and has always been popular with Chinese dignitaries. Number Three Bathing Beach is also nice and quiet, but a bit more out of the way than the others. If you really want to explore something off the beaten path, take a 30 minute boat ride out to Huang Dao Beach, which until recently was a local secret. This clean and quiet beach is arguably the nicest in Qingdao and well worth the effort to get there.

Laoshan Mountains
Just 40kms to the east of the city tower the Laoshan mountain range, a natural and spiritual wonderland full of Taoist temples, waterfalls, streams and hiking trails which wander through the forested slopes. Jagged cliffs rise imposingly from the Yellow Sea, adding to the drama of the area. There are three separate routes which lead to some 220 scenic and historic spots in the mountains. The entire area has been well-developed for tourism, so it’s easy to get there and make your way to whatever part you wish to explore. The Southern Route is the most popular trail for sightseeing. It offers stunning ocean views the entire way as you pass by Taoist temples, lakes and caves. This is the route to Taiqing Palace, the largest of the 72 temples which dot the hills. From there you can follow another trail leading up to Yakou Temple, where a cable car runs farther uphill to Yao Lake and Mingxia Cave. Also along this trail is the impressive Shangging Gong Temple and the lovely Longtan Pu waterfall. It’s easy to see why the Southern Route is the most commonly travelled.

The Central Route mainly focuses on Beijiushui, the river with nine bends. Starting from the north side of Ju Peak, the highest point in Laoshan, the river flows down into the valley. There are so many amazing sights along the way that this route has been nicknamed ‘the Jiushui Gallery’. Some sections of the river are very fast, while lower down it flows slowly. The highlight of this route is the Chaoyin Waterfall, which during the rainy season crashes to the rocks below with stunning power. The third route is called the Eastern Route, which passes by a number of famous sites such as Taiqing Palace, Huayan Temple, the Lion Peak and Naluoyan Cavern. The 15-metre high Naluoyan Cavern is one of the main highlights. Its naturally smooth granite walls and floor look as though they were polished by hand and at the top of the cavern is a hole which lets in a beam of sunlight at certain times of the day illuminating the entire cave with beautiful light. Tourist buses leave from the eastern side of Qingdao’s railway station every 30 minutes from 06:30 until 18:00. You have to pay to get into the mountain area, but it’s well worth it.

Parks
Qingdao is blessed with a multitude of public parks and many of them are definitely worth a visit. Signal Hill Park, which was once a German navigation tower, has been turned into a mushroom-shaped structure with a revolving viewing platform at the top. The views over Qingdao are quite impressive from the top of the tower and the park is easily accessible by public bus. Taiping Shan Gongyuan is another good destination for amazing views. A cable car transports visitors to the summit where you can walk around and hike back down via a number of trails. One of these trails will take you to Zhan Shan Si, the largest Buddhist temple in the city. Zhongshan Gongyuan is another lovely park for a stroll, especially if you are visiting in the springtime, when the cherry blossoms are in bloom.