Chinese european city
1 - 20 of 49 Posts
Joined
·
141,168 Posts
Many large Chinese cities have a European influence.
Harbin - Russian
Qingdao - German
Shanghai - mix of European (the Bund)
Guangzhou - mix of European (Shamian district)
Macau - Portuguese
Even Beijing had a Western-style palace, but it was ransacked and burned to the ground by invading European forces over a hundred years ago.
Harbin - Russian
Qingdao - German
Shanghai - mix of European (the Bund)
Guangzhou - mix of European (Shamian district)
Macau - Portuguese
Even Beijing had a Western-style palace, but it was ransacked and burned to the ground by invading European forces over a hundred years ago.
Qingdao does not have a large population of Germans. It is almost entirely Chinese. The reason it appears German is because the city was invaded by the Germans, who forced the Qing to allow them an area of influence in Shandong province, centered on Qingdao. An interesting fact about Qingdao is that it was taken by Japan during WWI, after Japan declared war on Germany.
Qingdao is not an old city; It was built around 1891. The Qing designated the area as a primary defense against naval attacks. After WWII, the Kuomintang allowed the Americans to use the city as it's Western Pacific Fleet headquarters. The Communists took the city in 1949. Because Qingdao was Western-controlled throughout almost it's entire history, it already had sufficient infrastructure and lacked the decaying Hutong of older cities. Thus, the Communists left it pretty much alone, which is why Qingdao is free of the so-called "Commieblocks" that are seen in most Chinese cities.
Today, the city is known for the famous "Tsingtao Beer," probably the most famous Chinese beer. The city is also, of course, known for it's tree-lined streets, European architecture, and beautiful (and crowded) beaches.
Fushan Bay, which is near the CBD of Qingdao, will host sailing events during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Qingdao is not an old city; It was built around 1891. The Qing designated the area as a primary defense against naval attacks. After WWII, the Kuomintang allowed the Americans to use the city as it's Western Pacific Fleet headquarters. The Communists took the city in 1949. Because Qingdao was Western-controlled throughout almost it's entire history, it already had sufficient infrastructure and lacked the decaying Hutong of older cities. Thus, the Communists left it pretty much alone, which is why Qingdao is free of the so-called "Commieblocks" that are seen in most Chinese cities.
Today, the city is known for the famous "Tsingtao Beer," probably the most famous Chinese beer. The city is also, of course, known for it's tree-lined streets, European architecture, and beautiful (and crowded) beaches.
Fushan Bay, which is near the CBD of Qingdao, will host sailing events during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Joined
·
1,626 Posts
More Qingdao photos
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
Yes, Japan declared war on Germany on August 23rd, 1914. By comparision, the United Kingdom declared war against Germany on August 4th.
It wasn't until 1917 that the US declared war on the Central Powers. That same year, the Republic of China declared war on Germany. The Asian casualties of WWI were fairly low, especially compared with the massive loss of Asian lives during WWII. The only reason there were casualties at all is because the Germany had some territory in East Asia, such as Qingdao.
Of course, it's pretty clear that Japan's involvement was related to her own expansionism. Japan already controlled Korea and Taiwan, and pretty much had de facto control of Manchuria as well. The Japanese invasion of the German-controlled city of Qingdao must be seen in that context.
It wasn't until 1917 that the US declared war on the Central Powers. That same year, the Republic of China declared war on Germany. The Asian casualties of WWI were fairly low, especially compared with the massive loss of Asian lives during WWII. The only reason there were casualties at all is because the Germany had some territory in East Asia, such as Qingdao.
Of course, it's pretty clear that Japan's involvement was related to her own expansionism. Japan already controlled Korea and Taiwan, and pretty much had de facto control of Manchuria as well. The Japanese invasion of the German-controlled city of Qingdao must be seen in that context.
Joined
·
1,626 Posts
Modern Qingdao
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
Joined
·
7 Posts
the Qingdao Chinese continue building those "german" architecture after the handover.shosho said:
Joined
·
1,626 Posts
More Qingdao pics
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
Joined
·
507 Posts
Coooooooooool!
1 - 20 of 49 Posts
Join the discussion
