Qingdao

 I’m Australian, we have a national obsession with sport, we cling to the coastline and we have an issue with alcohol. What does Qingdao have to offer? China’s most famous brewery, decent swimming beaches (though more Melbourne then Noosa), and big stadiums which I was not around for a weekend to see how they are used, although I did meet a former gymnast still staying fit on Number 1 Bathing Beach.

What sets Qingdao apart is its geography and early colonial history. In many ways the coastline of rugged textured stone headlands nestling bathing beaches is not that different to many areas in Australia. I did not find that Qingdao was unfamiliar in the way that Gaungzhou, or Jinan is. Qingdao is not as old as most Australian capitals, with the exception of Canberra. It’s founding was part of Germany’s attempt to keep up with the rest of Europe, by having colonies. History shows this was not a great idea long term. From this period the city has several sections of German buildings, both early 20^th century and modernist. The hills and headlands add a visual relief to the city that the river and inland cities do not have. 

Qingdao is wedding photography city. At every near every place we visited, except Number One Bathing Beach there are women in flouncy inappropriate attire, and men in white and pink suits…. Pink? It is always interesting to watch another country interpret and change things held dear in one’s own culture, I’m sure most Chinese are horrified at what passes as Chinese food in the west… as I am at the wedding photography.  I was a wedding photographer for ten years, there are rules about shooting weddings. Rule one is never, ever, under no circumstances let your bride to see another bride, or else it is bad luck. So on seeing another bride we would steer our bride away. Obviously this rule has been abandoned here. I have photos with up to ten flustered brides and nine frazzled grooms, I am guessing that one went absent without leave or maybe with leave. Thinking about it I didn’t see a couple being photographed on Loushan, wonder if it is off limits too?

Qingdao is home to three important Chinese brands that are changing perceptions of ‘made in China’. My most gracious thanks, to the public relations team at Tsingtao Brewing, for allowing us freedom of the floor in the brewing room and the bottling lines. We made great photographs thanks to your trust in us, and you made me forever a fan of your product. Other brands can learn from this example, providing you have nothing to hide. My apologies to Hisense whom I learnt too late was based in Qingdao, you sponsor a indoor stadium in my city. I would love to photograph your production line on a future trip.

I would like to express my thanks to the Dept of Information who trusted us to see their city, often unsupervised. I would like to thank our interpreters and the random people I met along the way, those who tried to talk to me, those whom posed for photographs or let me make photographs of them, it is in your honour I present my photographs of your city.