Qingdao (or Tsingtao) lies on the south coast of the Shantung Peninsula on Kiaochow Bay, between Beijing to the northwest and Shanghai to the southeast.
Port History
Before the 17th Century, it was a minor fishing village. Then the Port of Qingdao was dominated by junk trade until a customs station was established there in the 20th Century. The Chinese established a small naval station and fortifications there when they created the North Ocean fleet in the 1880s.
In 1893, Germany occupied the area. In 1899, Qingdao was declared a free port. A railway to Chi-nan was constructed, and modern port facilities were built. The Germans laid out a European city there and founded several industries.
The Japanese declared war on Germany in 1914, it was to take Qingdao. After falling to a blockade in 1914, the Port of Qingdao was occupied by Japan until 1922. Taking back control of Qingdao in 1929, the Nationalist government continued to develop port facilities. The port expanded rapidly until the Japanese again occupied the Port of Qingdao from 1938 to 1945.
Japan developed much industry there. Cotton mills, engineering shops, and train works and repair facilities sprang up, and factories manufactured matches, chemicals, rubber, dyestuffs, and beer. Since 1949, the Port of Qingdao has been home to heavy industry, including iron and steel.
Port Commerce
Today, Qingdao is also a large fishing port that’s also known for its beautiful parks and beaches. It’s an important cultural center, being home to many institutions of higher education, including three oceanographic institutes.
Important to China’s international trade, this natural deep water port has trading partners in 450 ports worldwide. The Port of Qingdao consists of three port areas: the Old Port, the Huangdao Oil Port, and Qianwan New Port. The Port of Qingdao handles a wide range of project equipment and general and bulk cargo. The five main cargo types it handles are grain, coal, iron ore, crude oil, and containers, although fertilizer, cement, alumina, sodium carbonate, ironware, lumber, cotton, and rubber are also important cargos.
In 2006, the Port of Qingdao surpassed 224 million tons of throughputs, and its trade volume is the second largest in mainland China. It boasted traffic of almost 8 million TEUs in 2006.
Cruising and Travel
The Port of Qingdao hosts many domestic and international visitors who enjoy its comfortable climate, beautiful seaside setting, and many natural parks. It may be most famous for the Tsingtao Brewery that produces China’s most famous beer. At the Qingdao Passenger Transport Center, visitors can find ships to take them to Shanghai, Yellow and Xuejia Islands, Inchon, Korea, and Japan.
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