Qingdao for Two
Badaguan Villa Walks, Sunset at Zhanqiao Pier & the Fushan Bay Light Show

This is the heart of a couple's trip in Qingdao. Badaguan (八大关) is a quarter of old European villas built from the era when Germany and other Western powers settled here a century ago. Its eight streets are named after famous mountain passes of China, and each is planted with a different tree, so when the season turns the leaves go red and gold down a whole lane. Walk hand in hand under the trees past stone houses in one European style after another, stopping at the seaside "Marble Villa" (Huashi Villa), the quarter's landmark. This is the spot Chinese couples come to most for their wedding photos. The loveliest time is morning or late afternoon, in the soft light — a slow walk down quiet lanes, a romantic morning in a slice of Europe in the middle of Asia.

Qingdao's most classic seaside date is Zhanqiao Pier (栈桥), an old stone pier reaching about 440 metres out into the sea, with an octagonal red-tiled pavilion at its end called Huilan Pavilion that has become the symbol of the city. Walk out to the very end together, the sea wind cool, and look back at the old-town skyline and its red roofs. The best time is sunset, when the light changes over the bay and the pavilion stands as a silhouette against the sky — the image that has been on Qingdao postcards forever. It sits right by Qingdao Railway Station and the old town, so you can walk straight on into the old German quarter afterwards.

The loveliest night date by the sea in Qingdao is on Fushan Bay (浮山湾). Start at May Fourth Square (五四广场), with its red spiral sculpture called "May Wind" (五月的风) as the landmark, then walk the bayfront toward the Olympic Sailing Center. At dusk, the skyscrapers along the bay light up together in a moving light show that runs the whole length of the waterfront and reflects on the water — a modern, romantic scene by the bay. Walk hand in hand by the sea under the lights, the breeze cool, the whole far shore glowing across the water. It is busy at weekends but the buzz is good; sit by the bay and watch the lights together before you head back, a fine way to end the day.

Qingdao has several public beaches, but for couples No.2 Bathing Beach (第二海水浴场) on Huiquan Bay is quieter and prettier than the crowded No.1. It is a small curved bay with rocks, sand and the old villas of Badaguan as a backdrop, right next to the villa quarter — you can walk down to it straight from Badaguan. Sit by the sea together, hunt for shells, or take photos against the villa backdrop behind the sand. It has the feel of a seaside resort without the bustle. Morning or late afternoon is quiet and the light is good, making it a fine rest for your legs after walking Badaguan, before heading up nearby Xiaoyushan hill.

Qingdao is both a sea city and a beer city, and the signature date dinner is fresh seafood — stir-fried clams (花蛤), prawns, crab, oysters and seasonal fish, paired with cold, fresh-poured Tsingtao. This is the home of Tsingtao beer, and the draught here is fresher than anywhere else — some places even sell it by the plastic bag, the local way. Local dishes to try are chilli stir-fried clams and Spanish-mackerel dumplings (鲅鱼水饺), a Shandong speciality. Eat it for two in the evening; pick a place locals go to and that uses fresh catch, and always ask the price per kilo before you order. The Pichaiyuan (劈柴院) lane in the old town has seafood and snacks you can graze on, and a walk by the sea afterwards settles the meal nicely.

The high view couples stand and remember comes from two hill parks. Xiaoyushan (小鱼山) is a Chinese-style park on a hill near No.1 Beach, with a three-storey pavilion looking down over the red-tiled roofs of the old town lined up along the blue sea — the classic Qingdao postcard view. Signal Hill (信号山) has a red domed viewing tower that rotates, taking in the whole old town, the old German governor's residence, and the bays all around. Go up in the morning or late afternoon for good light and less heat. Both hills are in the old town and a short climb up, and they make it clear why Qingdao is called the city of red roofs by the sea.

A gentle afternoon for two belongs in the old German town. This central old quarter is built around St. Michael's Cathedral (圣弥厄尔大教堂), a twin-towered Gothic stone church Germany built in 1934 — a slice-of-Europe backdrop couples love. Around the church, stone streets and old European buildings have become cafés, design shops and the small shops of a younger crowd. Sip coffee in an old building, browse the shops in the lanes, take photos with the church behind you. Nearby are the Pichaiyuan (劈柴院) food lane and Zhongshan Road, the old commercial street, all walkable in a day — a good midday break before heading down to the sea in the evening.

A date on the water that Qingdao has and other cities do not is a sail at the Olympic Sailing Center (奥帆中心). Fushan Bay hosted the sailing events of the Beijing 2008 Olympics, which is how Qingdao earned the name "Sailing City" of China. At the marina there are operators who take visitors out into the bay on a sailboat or yacht for a short trip. Head out into the middle of the bay to see the city skyline and the waterfront towers from the water, with the sea breeze and the sails — a different kind of date from walking on land. In the evening you also catch the city beginning to light up. The center itself is good for a walk along the marina, photos with the masts, and an easy stroll on to the adjoining May Fourth Square. Check the sailing times and the weather first, as some days are too windy to go out.

Qingdao has a metro, and it is the easiest way for two to move between the seaside spots around the city without losing time to traffic. Line 3 links the old town and Zhanqiao Pier with Qingdao North Station, Line 2 runs to the Fushan Bay / May Fourth Square area and the east, and Line 11 follows the east coast toward Mount Lao, passing views of the bays and hills. Fares are just a few yuan, paid by scanning Alipay or WeChat. Ride Line 3 to walk the old town in the morning, then Line 2 across to Fushan Bay in the afternoon — an easy way to keep a couple's trip from tiring you out and to leave more time for walking. Some stretches surface above ground for a view of the city too.

The charm of a couple's trip in Qingdao is not just the sights — it is the slow pace that a seaside resort city gives. Let the old villas, the sea and the beer be the stars. There is no need to rush and tick off every spot: wander the lanes of Badaguan, stop to photograph a pretty house, sip coffee in the old German town, sit by the sea at No.2 Bathing Beach and watch the boats, drink fresh Tsingtao by the bay in the evening. A good trip is about giving each other time rather than chasing a checklist. Qingdao really suits this pace, because everything is near the sea and the metro takes you there easily. If you keep half a day to do nothing but be together by the bay, that is the best part of the trip.