A festival in honor of the nectar of the gods, beer — how great is that? Every summer, during the month of August, Qingdao (青岛) hosts the largest beer festival in Asia with international breweries from all over the globe flocking to the sandy shores of China’s Sailing City in Shandong Province. If you are a serious drinker or a casual weekend enthusiast, you’ll see the best of China’s beer drinking culture at this event.
Picture huge tables filled with beer-swilling, elated Chinese and beautiful women performing on stage as the sound of Gan Bei 干杯 ! (bottoms up) rings out across the numerous beer tents.
Music of all kinds is featured at numerous stage venues with beers on tap from around the globe: Beck’s from Germany, Kirin & Asahi from Japan, Carlsberg from Denmark, Corona from Mexico, Heineken from Holland, Tiger from Singapore, Budweiser from the states, and of course China’s Tsingtao Beer, just to name a few.
Besides beer and themed mascots that follow the animals of the Chinese Zodiac, there’s tons of food, both Chinese and Western, to gorge on when you get the munchies. If you’re at the east coast venue don’t forget, beautiful Shilaoren beach is just a 30 minute walk away!
Mount Lao Scenic Recreation Area, only 30-40 minutes by bus or taxi from the Laoshan District Beer Fest, offers a refreshing reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the beer fest.
