The 29^th Olympic Games of 2008 will be held mainly in Beijing, but sailing, football and equestrian events will be held in six other cities: Qingdao, Shenyang, Tianjin, Shanghai, Qinhuangdao and Hong Kong. You may go to these beautiful cities to watch the games and take a tour while there. You are probably not familiar with all these cities, so, I will be your Olympic tour guide and help you learn about their local conditions and customs.


2008 Olympics Arenas and Events in Cities outside Beijing:





Our First Station: Qingdao - City by the Sea



Qingdao is located on the southern edge of the Shangdong Peninsula with the Yellow Sea to the east. Warm in winter and cool in summer, it is a very clean, beautiful coastal city. The 2008 Olympic sailing events will be held here.


In Qingdao, there are tall edifices and large mansions including European-style buildings, e.g. the buildings at Badaguan
(Eight Passes) and the churches on Jiangsu and Zhejiang Roads. In the city, the blue sky, green trees, red tiles and yellow walls form a beautiful setting. Here there are the blue sea, red reefs, golden sand and a very broad beach where many Qingdaonese enjoy swimming and taking walks.


The Qingdaonese like to eat seafood and drink beer. There are all kinds of very tasty seafood. The best seasons to have seafood are spring and summer; so do come to Qingdao during these two seasons if you like seafood. There is also a famous beer – Qingdao beer. Each August, there is the "Qingdao International Beer Festival" at which you can taste beers from all over the world, and you can surely drink your fill!