"Red-tiled roofs amongst greenery, the azure sky above the blue sea" used to be the highlights of Qingdao (青岛), appealing to both Chinese and foreign tourists in the last century. Today Qingdao has been put in the spotlight as the host city of the 29th Sailing Regatta in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. "Qingdao, The Sailing City" symbolizes the new horizon of Qingdao which aims at attracting more visitors from around the world.
To visitors from both China and around the world, Qingdao is known as China’s "Little Switzerland," because the city boasts unique characteristics not found in other Chinese cities. These envied traits include amazing fine-sand beaches, European style architecture, and most significantly, clean air. Qingdao is far and away one of the cleanest cities in China.
Qingdao lies between mountains and the sea, maintains a well-placed coastal port with clear deep waters, and enjoys a very comfortable climate. The mountains provide a collection of interesting sights centered around the mystical Mt. Laoshan(崂山), an important Taoist historical location featuring the highest peak along the Chinese coast. Meanwhile the sea provides relaxation, gentle waves, bared rocks, and some golden beaches forming arguably China’s best northern beach resort. All of these unique physical features produce a fabulous landscape surrounding the city. The historical culture, variety of religion, civil traditions, village customs, and holiday celebrations all add to Qingdao’s rich culture.
