After a solid summer back home in the US, we got back to Beijing only to head out again two days later, this time to the coastal city of Qingdao (青岛). On the Yellow Sea, this famous Chinese city still shows its German influence, and it is known mostly for its namesake – Tsingtao Beer. While the biggest beer brand in China still uses the old-fashioned spelling, it’s still brewed in the city, and the annual beer festival there brings thousands of visitors each and every summer. For our first day there, we walked around the water, stopped at what was probably the most crowded beach in the world, and enjoyed a delicious seafood dinner.

青岛 – Qīng dǎo
Qingdao

山东省 – Shān dōng shěng
Shandong province

美国 – Měi guó
USA

雨伞 – yǔ sǎn
umbrella

栈桥 – zhàn qiáo
Zhanqiao Pier

黄海 – huáng hǎi
Yellow Sea

救生衣 – jiù shēng yī
life jacket

回澜阁 – huí lán gé
Pavilion of the Rebounding Waves

贝壳 – bèi ké
seashells

海军舰船 – hǎi jūn jiàn chuán
navy ship

水族馆 – shuǐ zú guǎn
aquarium

夏天的时候，青岛是很受欢迎的 – xià tiān de shí hou, qīng dǎo shì hěn shòu huān yíng de
In the summertime, Qingdao is very popular.

沙滩装 – shā tān zhuāng
beachwear

玩球 – wán qiú
play ball

锻炼身体 – duàn liàn shēn tǐ
workout

做后空翻 – zuò hòu kōng fān
do backflips

睡觉 – shuì jiào
sleep

海鲜 – hǎi xiān
seafood

蚕，海星，海胆 – cán, hǎi xīng, hǎi dǎn
silkworm, starfish, and sea urching

你可以自己选则一条鱼 – nǐ kě yǐ zì jǐ xuǎn zé yī tiáo yú
you can choose a fish yourself

这个小不小…要这个 – zhè ge xiǎo bù xiǎo… yào zhè ge
Is this one small or not? (Do you) want this one?

这个行 – zhè ge xíng
this one’s fine

非常好吃 – fēi cháng hǎo chī
very tasty!