History

Qingdao has a long history and a splendid culture; it is also one of the cradles of Chinese Taoism.

Qingdao is one of the major settlements where the Dongyi people lived in the Neolithic Age over 5,000 to 6,000 years ago,leaving behind rich and colorful Beixin Culture, Dawenkou Culture, Longshan Culture and Yueshi Culture.

During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods,Jimo, then the second biggest city in Shandong Province, was established. Goujian, King of the State of Yue, established the capital in Langya (in today's Huangdao District) and later became the overlord of the State.

After unifying China, the First Emperor of Qin made five inspection tours around the country and paid three visits to Langya.

Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was once the King of Jiaodong (today’s ancient Jimo City site) when he was young. He was the most frequent visitor to Qingdao among Chinese emperors according to historical records.

In the Tang and Song Dynasties, Qingdao became the most important transport hub and trading port in north coastal China,serving as a stopover for ships from the south and the north. An ofice responsible for foreign trade was set up in Banqiao Town (in today's Jiaozhou) in the Song Dynasty.

In the Yuan Dynasty, Jiaolai Canal was built across Shandong Peninsula to facilitate sea transportation.

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Qingdao was an important fortress for coastal defense in northern China.

On June 14, 1891, the Qing government established a garrison here, making Qingdao an administrative division.

On November 14, 1897, German troops occupied Qingdao under the pretext of the “Juye Religious Incident” and turned Qingdao into a colony.

In 1914, Japan took over the city from Germany after World War I broke out.

In 1919, the May 4th Movement broke out, triggered by the public outcry over the occupation of Qingdao.

On December 10, 1922, Chinese Beiyang government recovered the sovereignty of Qingdao and transformed it into a commercial port city.

In April 1929, the Kuomintang government designated Qingdao as a special city and renamed it as Qingdao City in 1930.

In January 1938, Japan seized Qingdao again.

In September 1945, the Kuomintang government took over Qingdao and designated it as a special city again.

On June 2, 1949, Qingdao was liberated and placed under the jurisdiction of Shandong Province.

In 1981, Qingdao was listed among China’s economic centers.

In 1984, Qingdao was named one of China’s coastal cities opening up to the outside world.

In 1986, Qingdao became one of the cities with independent planning status.

In 1994, Qingdao became a sub-provincial city in China.

In 2014, Qingdao was identified as the pivotal city of the Belt and Road Initiative along the New Eurasian Land Bridge Economic Corridor and a strategic stronghold for maritime partnership.

In 2016, approved by the State Council, Qingdao was designated as a key coastal center, a resort destination, an international port, and a historical and cultural city of China.

In 2017, Qingdao was named a City of Film by the Creative Cities Network of UNESCO.

In 2018, the 18th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of Shanghai Cooperation Organization was held in Qingdao.

In 2019, Qingdao hosted the multinational naval activity marking the 70th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Liberation Army Navy.

From 2020 to 2021, Qingdao was rated among the happiest Chinese cities and the top 10 most livable Chinese cities.