How to Arrange the 7 Scenic Areas of Qingdao Laoshan? A 3-Day, 2-Night Vacation Guide!

Qingdao's Laoshan Scenic Area has seven tourist areas, with four on the southern route: Jiushui with its winding paths and secluded charm, Yangkou full of fun surprises, and Taiqing rich in cultural heritage. Laoshan, this 'fairy mountain on the sea'—how to best enjoy a relaxing 3-day, 2-night stay here? Keep this guide handy!

When you visit Taiqing in Laoshan, head to Taiqing Palace to see the ancient trees that have stood for a millennium, take a Taiqing cruise with seagulls as your companions, and ride the Taiqing cable car to watch the clouds drift over the sea. Slow down and soak in the 'fairy mountain on the sea, life at ease.'

Laoshan boasts nine palaces, eight temples, and seventy-two monasteries, with Taiqing Palace as the foremost. In the Sanhuang Hall of Taiqing Palace, you must see the 2,150-year-old Han Cypress entwined with a Trumpet Creeper. The ancient cypress is hollow, with the creeper's vines winding their way up through it, still verdant and upright after weathering millennia. Taiqing Palace also has many other ancient and rare trees, including crape myrtle, golden osmanthus, winter-resistant camellia, Tang-era elms, and Tang-era cypresses.

The Taiqing cruise just outside the palace is well worth trying—see Laoshan from a different angle, from the sea. The entire boat trip lasts about 30 minutes, and it's recommended to stand on the deck, feel the sea breeze, admire the sparkling water, and enjoy the company of seagulls along the way.

In the afternoon, take the Taiqing cable car. It feels like floating above a sea of forests, with strange peaks and boulders rising from the dense woods, and the sea visible in the distance. At the viewing platform, if you're lucky, you can see a sea of clouds over the water. From the Taiqing cable car's viewing platform, hike uphill for another 30 minutes to reach Mingxia Cave, where many cultural stone inscriptions surround the area. If you're a fan of stone carvings or calligraphy, don't miss it.

Jufeng is the highest peak of Laoshan, also known as Laoding, with an elevation of 1,132.7 meters. During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Yan Mo wrote in "Qi Records": 'Mount Tai claims to be tall, but it's not as great as the Laoshan by the East Sea.' Take the cable car to soar above the mountains, then hike slowly to the summit. Standing atop Jufeng, overlook the rolling hills and the boundless sea—young couples are especially encouraged to come here for a romantic mountain-and-sea rendezvous and to make vows of love!

Jufeng Summit Route:

Laoshan Tourist Service Center → Tiandi Chunhe Square → Take Jufeng cable car up → Ziran Stele → Li Gate → 'The First Famous Mountain on the Sea' Viewing Platform → Xun Gate → Lingqi Peak (Xiantian Bridge, Zhaixing Pavilion)

Jufeng Challenge Route:

Starting from 'The First Famous Mountain on the Sea' Viewing Platform, enter the junction for the circuit around Jufeng's Eight Trigrams Gates. Follow the halfway trail clockwise, passing through Kun Gate, Dui Gate, Qian Gate, Kan Gate, Gen Gate, Zhen Gate, Xun Gate, and then back to Li Gate, enjoying the sights along the way. This takes about three to four hours. You can also continue up the stone steps straight to Xun Gate to visit the summit of Jufeng, then go counterclockwise around the Eight Trigrams Gates and other points.

By the way, it's now super convenient to get to Laoshan—Metro Line 4's Dahedong Station takes you directly to the Laoshan Tourist Service Center! It's the country's first mountain-type scenic area visitor center with direct subway access.

Recommended photo spots:

1. 'The First Famous Mountain on the Sea' stone carving: Inscribed for Laoshan by the calligrapher Mr. Wu Zhongqi at the remarkable age of 95.

2. Xiantian Bridge: Standing on this bridge, you're above a seemingly bottomless cliff—capturing it with a telephoto lens is stunning!

3. Zhaixing Pavilion: An ideal spot for sunrise, sea of clouds, and sunset, facing the sea and layered mountain peaks.

Huayan Temple, embraced by mountains on three sides and facing the sea to the east, is the only Buddhist tourist area in Laoshan. Its architecture is majestic and elegant, praised as 'a natural Baiyun Cave and a divinely crafted Huayan Temple.' Here, take your time to savor the Zen ambiance and ancient charm, and find inner peace.

At the entrance of Huayan Temple stands a bronze statue of Master Faxian, the first Chinese monk to travel overseas for Buddhist scriptures, predating Xuanzang by 200 years! Many have likely heard of Guayue Peak here, as it's the inspiration for the logo of Laoshan mineral water.

Huayan Temple is also the birthplace of the Praying Mantis Kung Fu style. Legend has it that the monk Yu Qi observed a mantis catching a cicada here and derived the mantis boxing techniques. During our visit, we even spotted a cute little mantis at the temple.

Next time you come to Huayan Temple, you can enjoy cherry blossoms in front of the Sansheng Hall in spring, see the century-old fringe tree flowers blooming inside the temple in May, and admire the ginkgo trees at the temple gate in golden autumn.

On this trip to Qingdao, I discovered a hidden gem of a beach—Liuqinghe Beach. Located in Shazikou, Laoshan District, Qingdao, I recommend staying at a guesthouse in Dongmaiyao or Ximaiyao Village. From there, you can walk to the sea every day for a coffee, with soft sand, azure waters, and flocks of seagulls—utterly healing!

This time we stayed at Guanxingtang Guesthouse and Fanxingli Guesthouse, both ideal for multiple families traveling together as standalone villas. There's a rooftop viewing terrace where you can see the village's fairy-tale-like patchwork of red roofs and the sea beyond.

The Dongmaiyao and Ximaiyao villages where the guesthouses are located have been beautifully transformed over two years into a romantic countryside. Flowers bloom everywhere, cute hand-painted artworks adorn walls and electricity boxes, and this season wild cherries dot the branches.

A short walk across the road from the village brings you to the sea. Liuqing Bay Beach stretches about 3 kilometers long, with a sandy shore around 900 meters, soft sand, and many seagulls flying about—bring some bread to feed them!

I highly recommend dining at Xiehou Meisu for authentic Laoshan cuisine—swordfish, Liuting pig trotters, stir-fried Laoshan chicken, locust flower pancakes, Jiaodong crispy shrimp, secret-recipe fresh mackerel, local shrimp, seafood dumpling soup, seafood platter... enjoy these wonderfully fresh and flavorful seafood dishes and local specialties to your heart's content.

Also, there are many cute container shops along Liuqinghe Beach. I suggest heading to Shark Waves Bar for creative coffee, and Bingbing Jiang for shaved ice—enjoy these treats while watching the sunset over the sea.