Qingdao: China's Coastal Gem - Beaches, Nightlife & Culture

📍Qingdao, China

24 hours in Qingdao, China’s answer to Miami.

We kicked things off with a bit of speedboat action and a swim at the stunning Bathing Beach No. 3 – clean water and cracking views. From there, we wandered through the Old German Town, a lovely mix of Victorian charm and Chinese culture, where we treated ourselves to a perfectly made Negroni and some class craft cider at a Craft Beer and Art Salon.

Things heated up with a Korean BBQ feast – juicy meat on the grill and an absolutely ridiculous amount of soju. We discovered the Korean way of drinking this which turned out to be a game changer. The skyline light show put us in a blade-runner world to go out and explore the night. A kind restaurant owner kept his place open past closing to give us free baijiu after hearing about my interest in it. Qingdao people are so nice man.

Later on, we hit a live music bar where the bartender surprised me with a glass of Maotai Gold – a posh Chinese drop worth over £500 a bottle – while a hauntingly good cover of Wish You Were Here played in the background. After that, we decided the night wouldn’t be complete without some karaoke, so we headed to Lulu World, grabbed a bottle of red wine, and sang our hearts out until 3 AM.

The next morning, we woke up in our lush Miami-style villa, complete with a massive veranda overlooking the sea, sand, and skyline – all for just £100 a night. After ordering some takeaway coffee and croissants to sort ourselves out, we had one final stroll along the promenade, where a lovely bloke serenaded us with his ukulele.

Qingdao really does have it all – stunning beaches, electric nightlife, and locals with some of the kindest hospitality in China. It’s the Miami of China, and it’s a belter of a place to visit.