First held in 1991, the Qingdao International Beer Festival has grown into Asia’s largest beer event. Every August, starting on the second Sunday of the month, the festival kicks off and runs for 16 days in the city’s Shilaoren National Tourism Resort. This sprawling 35-hectare 'Beer City' is built specifically for the occasion, where beer lovers from all over the world come together. While you can always grab a Tsingtao Beer in Qingdao, nothing compares to the carnival buzz of the festival. Expect a fun mix of live music, international brews, and plenty of opportunities to sample the local favourite—Tsingtao Beer, of course. One quirky Qingdao tradition to note: fresh beer is often sold in plastic bags. So, don’t be surprised when you see people strolling the streets with a bag of beer in hand. It's all part of the fun.

Each year, about 340,000 visitors come to see the Royal Coster Diamonds craftsmen at work. Free guided tours demonstrating the process of cutting and polishing diamonds are led by Coster’s accommodating staff. The tours are available in more than 24 languages.

In 1936 and 1937, the German army built a dam five kilometres long between Tinnum and Rantum right across the Wattenmeer tidal flats intending to build a marine airport. In 1962, the area was declared a conservation area and rapidly developed into a popular breeding ground for many species of birds. Guided tours explain the local flora and fauna of the Rantum basin to holidaymakers.