Zhanqiao Pier

Zhanqiao Pier and Huilan Pavilion

Pier with German naval personnel, apparent expansion in progress, 1898

Zhanqiao pier in front of Qingdao's skyline, 2007

Zhanqiao (traditional Chinese: 棧橋; simplified Chinese: 栈桥; lit. 'loading pier') pier is located at the southern shore of Qingdao off Zhongshan Road. This now 440-meter-long (1,443.6 ft) strip stretches into the sea and was the first wharf at Qingdao. An octagonal pavilion called the Billowing Back and Forth Tower (Huilan Pavilion), loosely translated, stands at the end of the pier and was constructed in 1930. The pier itself was started in 1891 and frequently enlarged. Zhanqiao Pier appears on the label of the Tsingtao Brewery beer bottles and the front of cans.

Also in the vicinity of Zhanqiao Pier is the small Qingdao Island (Xiao Qingdao), the China Navy Museum, and many neighborhoods featuring German colonial architecture. The coastline lights up at night with spotlights on nearby buildings and several neon billboards.

Main attractions

• Huilan Pavilion (回瀾閣) is located in the coastal area of the Shinan District.
• Zhongshan Road (中山路) was built in 1897, during the German colonial period.

See also

• Qingdao
• Jiaozhou Bay