Oh boy. Yesterday I got completely soaked, lost my phone, and was inappropriately goosed by a really drunk Chinese guy, but it was still one of the best days I've had recently. I'm thoroughly impressed by how nice people are in this city - coming from Shanghai to here is like heading from New York City to Cleveland. But with beaches. more ›

• After Jiaozhou Bay was ceded to the Germans in May 1897, the small fishing village of Qingdao turned into the military hub of the German Navy. The city became the naval nerve center of all German operations in the Pacific ocean. It was the Germans, homesick and in great need of beer, who constructed and opened the hallmark Tsingtao Brewery in 1903.
• In the antebellum period of World War I, the Germans were forced to Flee after the British and Japanese combined forces and laid siege to the outpost. The Japanese maintained control over the city (and the brewery) until 1922, when it was returned to China. But in 1937, the Japanese reoccupied the city as part of their expansion into mainland China.
• After World War II, the city served as a U.S. naval port for a brief period before the founding of the PRC.

The following post is from our advertiser Ctrip. So did we mention we’re going to Qingdao? Yeah, near the end of August we've got plans to infiltrate and report on the great Asian fraternity party of 2009. That means for a weekend, you'll get to hear about all the streaking, chugging, bonding and other ridiculous antics that will no doubt spawn from the copious amounts of beer we'll be drinking. Want to come too? Need a place to stay? Check out the hotel and flight deals the good people over at Ctrip have compiled. See you there! more ›

Looking for an excuse to travel out of Shanghai this August? Maybe you ought to try for the infamous Qingdao International Beer Festival starting next week. From August 15-30, the city of Qingdao will host China's biggest and baddest annual beerfest. The event draws people, brews, and munchies from all over China and the world. more ›