Experience Qingdao

City is located in:

China,Shandong

Airport(s):

Qingdao International Airport - TAO

Language(s) Spoken:

Mandarin is widely spoken.

Things to Know Before you Go

Currency Used:

RMB

Main Methods of Payment:

Union Pay & Ali Pay are pre-dominant and widely acceptable.  International food chains like Mc Donald’s & KFC do not accept international credit cards. A tourist can easily download WeChat (Chinese version of WhatsApp) and add a credit card to the WeChat wallet), Visa, Master Card & American Express cards are accepted at most of the restaurants. Cash is always the best option.

Sales Tax/ GST:

13%

General Climate:

The city is known to have hot summers and cold winters.

Getting Around the City:

You can easily hire a taxi through DD (China’s localridesharealternative). A visitor can easily get a taxi on the streets.  Paying by cash would be ideal if you do not have the DD app on your phone.  Train stations have lines for taxi’s which are well managed by the authorities.  The local transportation system mainly the high -speed trains are immaculate and very well planned which have significantly reduced travel times between cities.

Electronic Appliance Support:

220V/50HZ

Safety:

Known as a tourist friendly city with a central business district. It is safe to walk around and explore the city as the government is very active in ensuring the safety of the citizens as well as tourists.

Cultural Norms:

Language is a huge barrier in China and is one of the biggest challenges. It is not uncommon for Taxi drivers and residents to speak little or no English, however the younger generation does speak and understand basic English. China is a very fast paced country and the people are always on the move. Do not be offended if while on the streets someone bumps into you and keeps going, it’s not personal they just have somewhere to go and are focused on getting to their destination.