Qingdao has changed over the last decade, from a quaint local tourist destination, to an international coastal business mecca.  Although the environment as a whole is definably cleaner and more suitable to the western lifestyle similar to Beijing and Shanghai, industrialization does take its toll and can be seen in the annual green-blue alga bloom that started in 2008 prior to the Qingdao sailing events of the Olympic games; its causes include excessive raw sewage and pesticide/fertilizer run off.
The city has grown rapidly in recent years, the small town …

A brilliant new Chinese train innovation – get on & off the bullet train without the train stopping. No time is wasted.  The high speed train is moving all the time. If there are 30 stations between Qingdao, Beijing and Guangzhou, just stopping and accelerating again at each station will waste both energy and time.  A mere 5 minute stop per station (elderly passengers cannot be hurried) will result in a total loss of 5 minutes x 30 stations or 2.5 hours of train journey time!
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Qingdao …

Four Seasons Shopping Mall from Hong Kong will enter Qingdao in 2011.  Yongchang Group, the development company, has signed a contract with the Four Seasons Group of Hong Kong.
Qingdao now has three Hong Kong-owned shopping malls–Lifu International, Damuzhi Square and Four Season, the first one was purchased and the second has been under construction. The Damuzhi Square will be completed in 2012
The Four Seasons Shopping Mall will be located in Jimo World Trade Building, which is part of the World Trade Business Center project.  In the first quarter of 2010, …

Qingdao International Marina Shopping Plaza (Marina City), located adjacent to the Qingdao International Marina & Olympic Sailing Center (OSC), will open April 16th, 2010.  Opening events will include Ice Skating, Ferrari, and Harley Davidson Motorcycle exhibitions.
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Medical & Dental Care
Restaurants, Cafes, & Bakeries
Bus, Ferries, & Train Stations
Bars, Clubs, KTVs
Sailing in Qingdao
Popular Businesses in Marina City:
Dairy Queen (DQ), Starbucks Coffee, HeLv Rotary Sushi, Watsons, Coodoo, Tong Ren Tang Medical Store, Mcdonald, BHG Market Place, SIYO Rink, Broadway Cinema City, H&M, ZARA, Hush Puppies, Harley-Davidson, Lenux and Replay.

The Chinese mainland saw a rapid increase in A/H1N1 cases that resulted in death in the past few weeks, according to the Ministry of Health.
Disease experts predict the A/H1N1 virus will peak in the coming months.  The Chinese government has expanded its A/H1N1 vaccination priority group to include pregnant women, migrant workers, and high risk professions such as butchers/veterinarians who may be in contact with infected dogs or pigs.
As the A/H1N1 virus continues to infect a growing number of animal species, the disease becomes more wide spread and increases the …