Qingdao, a coastal city in Shandong province, has taken its famous beer culture global. The Qingdao International Beer Festival held its first-ever event in Germany on July 5 (local time) at Berlin's Gardens of the World, bringing the spirit of China's "beer city" to Europe. Held within the park's Chinese garden Deyueyuan – Europe's largest traditional Chinese garden – the event blended beer tasting with immersive cultural experiences.

The festival featured beer tastings alongside interactive workshops on paper-cutting, calligraphy and Chinese language learning. Its theme "Cheers with the World!" resonated with visitors, who eagerly posed at photo spots and practiced saying "Nihao! China" and "Cheers! Qingdao" in Chinese. One Berlin visitor remarked that after tasting authentic Tsingtao beer, they now look forward to visiting the coastal city.

Beyond beer, the event promoted Shandong's cultural and tourism offerings through "beer + food" and "beer + music" experiences, showcasing the region's rich heritage and coastal charm.

This year, Shandong has implemented policies to boost inbound tourism, including visa facilitation, improved international transport, multilingual signage and tax refund services.

Visitors pose for a photo with bottles and cups of Tsingtao beer. [Photo/WeChat account: sdswltwx]

A German visitor to the Qingdao International Beer Festival in Berlin shows her paper-cutting work at the cultural experience area. [Photo/WeChat account: sdswltwx]