Qingdao is rapidly becoming a national hub for smart care technology. The city's public training and verification center — China's first facility dedicated to care-oriented embodied intelligence — has now entered large-scale, routine operation.

Recently at a nursing home in Qingdao, a black robotic dog was undergoing safety patrol validation, roaming inside and outside the facility and drawing curious attention from elderly residents. Robots must be tested not only in simulated environments but also in real-world scenarios, collecting "simulation-reality gap data". This precisely defines the daily work of the Qingdao Training and Validation Center for Embodied Intelligent Robots and Smart Rehabilitation Products in the Elderly Care Sector.

Since its launch earlier this year, the center has become a critical hub for care technology transitioning from the lab to practical application. Within just a few months, its impact has been evident, attracting 45 companies and 217 products. It brings together both domestic and international high-quality enterprises like Haier, Hisense, and BrainCo.

According to the city's three-year action plan (2025–27) for accelerating high-quality development of the wellness tourism industry, by 2027, Qingdao aims to have five regionally competitive leading enterprises, establish 15 demonstration bases for wellness tourism, and create 10 high-quality signature wellness tourism products.

In April, a senior travel group of 20 members from Harbin spent a week in Qingdao, enjoying integrated wellness services that blend healthcare, local culture, and tourism. Harbin's senior care promotion association praised Qingdao's coastal scenery, mild climate, and comprehensive services.

Currently, Qingdao has established wellness tourism partnerships with 24 cities across China and over 40 countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. In 2025, the city received 61,000 wellness tourists.

A Qingdao civil affairs official said that the city is capitalizing on its rich resources of mountains, sea, hot springs, urban amenities, bays, and islands to build its core brand of wellness tourism. Qingdao plans to design distinctive wellness products, foster leading companies, and create a government-business promotion network to help local enterprises expand globally while attracting quality visitors. The goal is for Qingdao to become a premier coastal wellness tourism destination both domestically and internationally.

With its picturesque blend of mountains and sea, Qingdao is an ideal coastal destination for wellness and leisure travel. [Photo/Guanhai News]