Qingdao's Ocean, Jinan's Springs: A Cool Summer Escape!

Choosing a summer vacation spot each year is part coincidence, part destiny. Qingdao, a place I've longed for many years: blue waves, white sails, red-tiled roofs amid green trees, swaggering locals downing clams with Tsingtao beer, sun-bathers in facekinis lounging on the beaches... Having ticked off most of China, Qingdao couldn't remain a dream. So I booked flights on Ctrip and flew straight to Qingdao.

Date: July 23–26, 2020, four days

Travel companions: Xiao He & me + Xiao Wu & his mom

Itinerary: Qingdao self-guided on the 23rd and 24th; Jinan self-guided on the 25th and 26th

Transport: Flight from Changsha to Qingdao, flight from Jinan back to Changsha, with a bullet train from Qingdao to Jinan in between

Cost: about 2,200 RMB per person

Like Xiamen, Qingdao is an arty, budget-friendly city, a blend of simplicity and style, romance and history. Dubbed the 'Oriental Switzerland,' it spans 11,000 square kilometers, surrounded by water on three sides with mountains at its back. Its cityscape had already taken shape in my mind. Unusually, I made no detailed plan this time; I just skimmed through the Shandong episode of Aerial China III before packing and setting off.

D1: Changsha Huanghua Airport → Qingdao Liuting Airport, check into hotel. Afternoon: visit May Fourth Square.

Xiao He & Xiao Wu

Dubbed the 'paparazzi moms,' Wu’s mom and I would serve as the two students’ travel managers and photographers for the next four days.

The plane was supposed to leave Changsha around 10 a.m. and arrive in Qingdao a little after noon, but it was delayed half an hour by air traffic, landing us there past 1 p.m. Such hiccups are common; we took it in stride. Choosing to travel far means accepting the unexpected and knowing how to adapt.

After landing, while waiting for luggage, I booked an apartment at the Tinglan Hotel Apartment near May Fourth Square and Vientiane City directly on Ctrip. After a warm welcome from our host and a short rest, we kicked off our Qingdao free tour that afternoon.

We lucked out: according to a local taxi driver, the day before had been a raging storm with towering waves, and all coastal areas were closed. It had been drizzling until just before we landed, but the sky cleared up in the afternoon. Stepping out, Qingdao greeted us with a brilliant smile!

'Friendly Shandong' lives up to its name—we felt it both in Qingdao and Jinan. With kind directions from a local, we walked about 10 minutes to Qingdao's Insta-famous spot: May Fourth Square.

May Fourth Square sits opposite the Qingdao Municipal Government, named after the great patriotic anti-imperialist May Fourth Movement of 1919. Its iconic sculpture, 'Wind of May,' is a spiraling, fiery red piece that embodies the movement's anti-imperialist, anti-feudal nationalist spirit and strength. The square is a hub that combines a seaside park, fountain, Olympic venue, and government offices—a landmark of Qingdao’s coastal culture, politics, and commerce.

The previous day's storm had left sand and mud along the shore, but that didn’t diminish Qingdao’s beauty a bit. Beside the square, flags of many nations fluttered at the Olympic Sailing Center, warmly showcasing Qingdao’s charm. This was the venue for the 2008 Beijing Olympic sailing events and the 29th Paralympic sailing competition.

With daylight still lingering, we decided to grab an early dinner, saving Qingdao’s night views for the next day. We found a local time-honored eatery, ordered affordable seafood and fresh Tsingtao beer, and savored the taste of Qingdao in the cool twilight.

D2: Badaguan, Second Bathing Beach, Zhanqiao Pier, speedboat ride, Olympic Sailing Center night light show

We didn't sleep in; instead, we rose early to visit Badaguan. The area’s main roads are named after eight famous passes in China, hence the collective name 'Badaguan' (Eight Passes). It also features villa clusters built in many national styles—Russian, British, French, German, Spanish, and more from over 20 countries—earning it the nickname 'World Architecture Expo.'

Wandering the crisscrossing tree-lined lanes, we mainly toured the Huashi (Granite) Building, Princess Building, and Butterfly Building.

The Huashi Building is a European castle-style building blending various Western architectural arts. Perched on a cape at the southern tip of Badaguan, it backs onto the district and faces the Second Bathing Beach, offering unique views and a lovely setting. It combines Greek and Roman elements with Gothic features. Before liberation, Chiang Kai-shek once lived here. Entry ticket: 5 RMB.

Photography-loving young ladies will adore the ivy-covered walls of Huashi Building!

After Huashi Building, we strolled along the canopy of green, the temperature a pleasant 26°C. We bought a few local specialty ice creams called 'Niuxiaozha' from a kiosk, filling Qingdao’s summer with sweetness and fragrance.

Qingdao’s artsy, romantic vibe is everywhere. Passing through a grove of tall dawn redwoods, we stumbled upon a group of musicians performing live.

In Badaguan, any little lane with a mossy stone wall, a ginkgo tree, a phoenix tree, or a low wall corner makes a great photo spot.

On a breezy summer afternoon, beside a tree-lined path alive with birdsong, we looked up and a fairytale castle appeared—the Princess Building.

The Princess Building on Juyongguan Road is a Danish-style structure. Legend has it that in the 1920s, a Danish prince visited Qingdao and, passing through Badaguan, found the seaside scenery so pleasing and suitable for a holiday retreat that he asked the Danish consul to purchase land and design this Danish-style residence.

Xiao He joked, 'Such a wonderful place, if only I could own a house here!' The 'paparazzi mom' just smiled and said nothing. A place so beautiful, visiting is enough for us!

The Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tale Corridor features many familiar colorful reliefs—kids will surely love them!

Near the Badaguan Hotel stands the famous Butterfly Building. It was a key location for the 1935 film After the Peach Blossom, the first movie set in Qingdao. People named it after the film’s leading lady, Hu Die (Butterfly Wu), a legendary Chinese actress. Now open to the public after 82 years, this old villa showcases a century of Qingdao’s film history.

The unparalleled film queen—Ms. Hu Die (image from the internet)

After taking in the varied architecture and refreshing scenery of Badaguan, we reached the famous Second Bathing Beach right by the sea. Stepping onto the soft sand, with the sea breeze caressing us and skirts fluttering, we relaxed and embraced Qingdao’s blue skies and turquoise waters.

I snapped a shot of Qingdao’s unique beachwear—the facekini. In 2004, local designer Zhang Shifan created this mask based on a diving hood. The nylon headgear blocks UV rays and jellyfish stings. The term 'facekini' went viral, and photos even made TIME magazine's '30 Most Astonishing Photos of 2012'.

Facekini (image from the internet)

Tired from the beach, we hailed a taxi. On our driver’s recommendation, we passed the Tsingtao Beer Museum and Beer Street to reach a restaurant called Guangming, which has been in business for 30 years. We ordered braised pig trotters, 'nine-turn' large intestine, and sautéed prawns with cabbage—all famous Shandong dishes.

The Qingdao Aquarium was also a hit with the students, satisfying their curiosity and joy to get up close with marine life.

While the kids were at the aquarium, Wu’s mom and I sat by the sea, enjoying the breeze and chatting. People kept recommending speedboat and cruise rides. Since we were in a seaside city, how could we miss a speedboat? After some haggling by Wu’s mom, we got the Qingdao west coast tour down from 1,380 RMB to 900 RMB for four, and we became 'sisters riding the waves'!

On the speedboat, we viewed Little Qingdao Isle, Zhanqiao Pier, the Naval Museum, and more from the water. Qingdao seen from the sea was a whole different feeling. Stretching to the horizon, the sea and sky merged with clouds scattered in between; across the deep, vast water, waves rolled and even huge ships looked tiny, drifting with the swells. Leaning on the rail and gazing afar, the sea embraced the coastal buildings, now gentle, now stern. As we circled Zhanqiao Pier, we became—those riding the waves to admire the view, while those on the pier watched us; in each other’s eyes, we became the scenery.

Vast sea, distant hills—who knows where the Xiao and Xiang rivers meet! Returning to shore at dusk, still exhilarated, our hearts drifting with the waves, we paused for a rest and took a beautiful photo with the sea.

By day, Qingdao exudes romance and artistry with its green trees, red roofs, blue sea, and clear sky; by night, when the lights come on, it transforms into a glittering, starry spectacle.

Early in the evening, May Fourth Square and the Olympic Sailing Center were already crowded. People strolled along the bay in twos and threes, admiring the sunset. At 8 p.m. sharp, the skyscrapers along the coast blazed with light, and this all-embracing city used a series of light shows to showcase Qingdao’s history, culture, and development to the world.

The lighthouse shines eternal over the ice-free port; today its upper floors are open to seafarers. How many voyagers has this warm light guided home? How many sailors has it kindled with hope of return?

D3: A day at Daming Lake

'Willows on three sides, lotus on four; a city of hills, and half a lake.' Jinan’s springs are renowned far and wide, and many of them gather to form Daming Lake.

For outsiders, many know Daming Lake from that classic line in a TV drama: 'Do you still remember Xia Yuhe from Daming Lake back then?' But for locals, Daming Lake, like Baotu Spring, is a calling card for Jinan. Here, graceful weeping willows cast shade, green waves ripple, and lotus blossoms bloom like brocade; skiffs race across the water, pleasure boats glide slowly, and pavilions and terraces peek through the scenery. A Qing-dynasty gazetteer records: 'The lake stretches vast, mountain hues connect far; in summer, lotus waves roll, in spring, mist curls. Boating here is like touring a land of fragrance; flutes and drums lend a distant melody, truly unique north of the Yangtze.'

Historically, figures like Tie Xuan, Zeng Gong, Xin Qiji, Du Fu, and Li Qingzhao all have deep connections to Daming Lake. 'I often remember the stream pavilion at dusk, too tipsy to find my way home. Delight ended, I rowed back late, and strayed into lotus depths. I paddled and paddled, startling a shoal of egrets.' Perhaps that poetess was so enchanted by the shimmering waters that she, too, forgot her way home.

'Lotus leaves and silk skirts are cut from the same green; hibiscus bloom toward her face on either side.' I think at Daming Lake, the rainbow bridge arching over the stream, the fragrant lotus in the lake, and the drooping willows along the banks—this vast canopy of lotus leaves and graceful weeping willows are even more captivating than the lotus flowers in full sun.

At dusk, the hills took on a dark hue, dyed by the sunset glow. Daming Lake shimmered, reflecting the slanting sun, radiating boundless brilliance.

Accommodation in Jinan is very affordable; unique guesthouses and apartments abound, with rooms going for just two to three hundred RMB. We booked a highly cost-effective Daming Lake-view guesthouse on Ctrip. From the balcony we could take in the lake scenery, and crossing the street brought us right into the scenic area—so convenient.

D4: Jinan’s Baotu Spring and Furong Street

Originally we planned to climb Mount Tai today, but heavy rain hit Jinan in the morning. Checking the weather, Tai’an was also rainy, so our taxi driver suggested we change plans and visit Baotu Spring instead. After cancelling our tickets, we spent the morning touring Jinan’s top spring in the rain.

Mr. Lao She wrote in his essay 'Baotu Spring': 'The spring is wonderful! Forever so pure, forever so lively, forever so vivid. Bubbling, bubbling, bubbling—never tiring, never retreating. Only nature has such power! Without this spring, Jinan would surely lose half its beauty.'

Baotu Spring’s water is clear, lively, and emerald green, with three main vents constantly gushing upward. These springs connect to Daming Lake in the city and eventually flow into the Yellow River toward the sea. Locals say that in September and October, when water is plentiful, it surges and churns white waves; when water is scarce, the spring calms and rests a bit. 'Is Baotu Spring gushing today?' is the anticipation of every visitor, and only when you see those three jets of water do you feel at ease.

Another Jinan historical and cultural figure is Li Qingzhao. Most people can hum a few lines of her poem 'Dreamlike Song: Last night the rain was light, the wind fierce…' In junior high, class monitor Yao often recited 'Spring in Wuling' by my ear: 'The wind has ceased, the fragrant dust has settled, the flowers have fallen. It’s late in the day, I’m too weary to comb my hair. Things remain, people are gone, all is over. When I try to speak, tears flow first.' Later, Hui’s essay on the class literature wall used lines: 'Seeking, seeking, cold, clear, dreary, desolate, desperate. When it’s just turned warm but still cold, it’s hardest to get rest.' As I grew older, I sang with my friend Maruko: 'Red lotus fragrance fades, autumn chills the jade mat… When wild geese return in formation, moonlight fills the western chamber.' And once drunk, I’d cheekily twist the lines: 'Vomiting, vomiting, startling countless mandarin ducks.' Li Qingzhao’s ci poetry always accompanies everyone’s school years—the forced melancholy, cool loneliness, and self-pity. But in fact, the poet was bold and unrestrained in her early years: 'Be a hero among the living, a spirit king among the dead.' It was through many worldly trials that her sorrow grew so unquenchable. I ask: who, after half a lifetime, returns still young at heart?!

The rain kept falling, adding a moist sheen to cool Jinan. Leaving Baotu Spring, we hopped on an old man’s electric tricycle, threading through alleys to Furong Street nearby.

Like Changsha’s Taiping Street, Furong Street is a government-created tourist food street, lined with drinks, local snacks, and artsy trinket shops—but it lacks Taiping Street’s charm and crowds. Honestly, I didn’t find it worth much time; the food looked pretty and tempting but tasted mediocre, and the souvenir shops were nothing special, just like any other tourist city’s commercial street. If it hadn’t been for the rain, we’d have chosen Qianfo Mountain Park in the city. A few photos here to prove we stopped by!

A little wrap-up is in order! This short four-day trip, though not as profound or thrilling as my past journeys on the Qinghai–Tibet route or in Xinjiang, still left us with plenty of joy. As always, I love seaside cities: the sea breeze on my shoulders, the whisper of pine waves; all rivers returning to the sea, the vast infinity; and most of all, the hearty pleasure of seafood with beer, a cool urban vibe infused with fresh, artsy flair!

Finally, a set of aerial photos overlooking the Jiaozhou Bay Bridge and the under-construction Jiaodong Airport, waving goodbye to Qingdao and Jinan!