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Qingdao · Attraction Guide

May Fourth Square (五四广场)
The red spiral, Fushan Bay, and Qingdao's nightly light show

A wide seafront plaza built around a 30-metre red spiral — the city's modern icon — backed by a wall of CBD towers that turn into a giant light show once the sky goes dark. Free, open at any hour.

What it is

Why everyone ends up at May Fourth Square

Picture this: you are standing on a broad plaza beside Fushan Bay at six in the evening. In front of you is a fiery-red steel spiral as tall as a ten-storey building, glowing against a sky turning orange and purple. Behind it rises a row of CBD towers, and beyond that the sea, where yachts are moored at the Olympic Sailing Center. In a few minutes the sky will go fully dark — and the towers around the bay will start lighting up together, in rhythm.

That is May Fourth Square (五四广场) — a public plaza of around 100,000 square metres on Fushan Bay in Qingdao's Shinan district, and the face of the city's modern side, the opposite of the red-roofed German old town across town. The municipal government building sits to the north, the sea to the south, and at the centre stands the sculpture everyone comes to photograph.

What makes the square special is simple: it is free and open 24 hours — no ticket line, no closing time. Locals and visitors come for the same reasons: to stroll the waterfront, to photograph the red spiral, and to wait for the evening light show.

May Fourth Square Qingdao — the red May Wind spiral sculpture on Fushan Bay with the CBD skyline behind it
May Fourth Square — the red 'May Wind' sculpture, the icon of modern Qingdao, on Fushan Bay
🎫
Admission
Free
Open 24 hours, every day
🌆
Best time
Sunset to evening
Photograph the red spiral, then the light show
🚇
Metro
May Fourth Square
Line 3 to this station · Line 2 to Fushansuo
🌀
The red spiral
30 m tall
Over 500 tons — China's largest of its kind
💡
Light show
~7:30–9:00 pm
Towers around Fushan Bay (summer/holidays)
⛵
Walk to
Olympic Sailing Center
Along the seafront, ~15–20 min
What to see

4 things that capture modern Qingdao

Everything here is within walking distance around Fushan Bay — start at the red spiral and work your way toward the sea.

What to do here

Stroll, shoot photos, and wait for the bay to light up

🌀 Photograph the red spiral

The "May Wind" sculpture is Qingdao's signature image, and everyone comes here to shoot it. The classic angle is to step back so the full spiral cuts against the sky, or shoot from behind so the sea and the CBD towers fill the frame. At sunset the light turns warm and the red of the sculpture is at its most vivid.

For crowd-free shots, come on a weekday morning or afternoon — holiday evenings get very busy, especially in summer when Qingdao is a top seaside getaway for domestic travellers.

💡 Catch the Fushan Bay light show

This is the evening highlight. Once the sky is fully dark, the towers around the bay run LED displays in sync with music — typically around 7:30–9:00 pm in summer and on holidays (timing and frequency vary by season, and weekdays off-season may have no show). Stand on the waterfront in front of the plaza, or walk toward the Olympic Sailing Center to fit the whole bay into one frame.

During some festivals there is an added drone show. Check the schedule ahead with your hotel or local notice boards, since the timetable changes with events.

Tip: Arrive about 30 minutes before showtime to claim a railing spot, and keep in mind that a weekday off-season evening may have no show at all — for the surest bet, aim for Friday–Sunday or the summer months.
Qingdao CBD skyline of towers around Fushan Bay at night, the backdrop to May Fourth Square
The Qingdao CBD skyline around Fushan Bay — the backdrop to May Fourth Square that becomes a light screen at night

🚶 Walk the seafront to the Olympic Sailing Center

From May Fourth Square, follow the seaside path east for about 15–20 minutes to reach the Olympic Sailing Center, the marina that hosted the 2008 Olympic sailing. On the way you pass Lover's Dam reaching out into the sea, with a cool breeze and yachts filling the bay. It is one of the most rewarding evening walks in the city, especially if you time it with the light show.

If you want to get out on the water, the Olympic Center runs yacht trips around the bay for an extra fee — a view of Qingdao from mid-water that you cannot get from shore.

Getting there

How to reach May Fourth Square

The metro is the easiest option, dropping you right beside the plaza.

🚇
Metro Line 3
May Fourth Square Station (五四广场站)
The station shares the square's name — walk straight up to the plaza. Easiest of all.
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Metro Line 2
Fushansuo Station (浮山所站)
A few minutes' walk south to the plaza — handy if you are coming from the east of the city.
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Bus / taxi
Municipal Government stop (市政府)
Several bus routes stop by the government building; taxis and DiDi are also easy.
Timing tip: Pair May Fourth Square with the Olympic Sailing Center in half a day. Get off the metro at May Fourth Square Station in the late afternoon, photograph the red spiral at sunset, then walk the seafront to the Olympic Center and finish with the evening light show — the whole district in one outing.
Nearby

What else is around the square

This district is all sea and CBD towers; the red-roofed old town sits across town, an easy metro ride away.

Olympic Sailing Center
The 2008 Olympic marina on Fushan Bay — a 15–20 minute walk from May Fourth Square
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FAQ

FAQ · May Fourth Square before you go

Is May Fourth Square free to visit?
Yes. May Fourth Square and the Fushan Bay promenade are free and open 24 hours a day, every day — no ticket, no closing time. The only extra costs are optional, such as a yacht ride at the adjacent Olympic Sailing Center or a coffee at one of the waterfront cafes.
What is the May Wind sculpture?
The "May Wind" (五月的风) is a fiery-red steel spiral standing 30 metres tall, 27 metres in diameter and weighing more than 500 tons. It was built to commemorate the May Fourth Movement of 1919, whose roots are tied to Qingdao, and it gives the square its name. It is regarded as the largest steel urban sculpture in China and is the symbol of modern Qingdao.
When is the best time to visit May Fourth Square?
Sunset into the evening is the most rewarding window: the red sculpture stands out against an orange-purple sky, and afterwards the towers ringing Fushan Bay run a synchronised light show, typically around 7:30–9:00 pm in summer and on holidays. For uncrowded photos of the sculpture itself, come on a weekday morning or afternoon instead.
How do I get to May Fourth Square, and which metro line?
The metro is easiest. Take Line 3 to May Fourth Square Station (五四广场站) and you arrive right at the plaza, or take Line 2 to Fushansuo Station (浮山所站) and walk a few minutes south. Several bus routes stop at the Municipal Government stop (市政府), and taxis or DiDi are also convenient.
Can I walk from May Fourth Square to the Olympic Sailing Center?
Easily. The Olympic Sailing Center (奥帆中心) sits on the eastern side of Fushan Bay, about a 15–20 minute walk along the seaside promenade from May Fourth Square. It is a popular evening stroll, especially during the light show, since you can see the whole bay lit up at once.
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Klook · Qingdao tours & activities

Yacht rides on Fushan Bay, Qingdao city tours and tickets — book ahead and skip the queue

Take a yacht out from the Olympic Sailing Center for the Qingdao skyline from mid-water, join a city tour that covers the main sights, or grab a ticket to the Tsingtao Beer Museum — book on Klook in advance and skip the on-site line.

See Qingdao activities on Klook →
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