青岛海滨

Why this place

Qingdao's coast is the best urban seaside in northern China: a red-tiled German concession town on a hillside, beaches below it, and a brewery that has been making the country's most famous beer since 1903. The coast road east toward Mount Lao is genuinely beautiful.

What to see

• Zhanqiao Pier and the old town's German architecture
• Badaguan, the villa district, and the coast road along the cliffs
• The beaches at Shilaoren and the summer swimming culture
• Mount Lao and its Taoist temples, half an hour inland
• The Tsingtao Brewery museum, and the beer festival in August

What to eat

• Tsingtao beer, drunk from a plastic bag in summer, and clams cooked in it
• Grilled squid and the seafood market where you choose and they cook
• Mackerel dumplings, the local Shandong specialty

How to plan

Two or three days: the old town and Badaguan, the coast road, Mount Lao.

Best time

May–June and September–October; August is the beer festival and very busy

Practical tips

• The old town is steep and best walked — the architecture is the point, and the streets are narrow