Outside the nest
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Qingdao, which figures among the most pleasant of Chinese cities, is hosting some of the Olympic sailing events in its picturesque Fushan Bay. Qingdao is probably one of the many cities in China you’ve never considered as a place to visit; despite its lack of gay infrastructure, it is well worth your time. A former German territory, Qingdao, capital of Shandong Province located between Beijing and Shanghai, makes an ideal side-trip and rewards those who make the (minimal) effort to get there with some of the most pleasant beachfront real estate in China. In a country not known for its environmental integrity, Qingdao is as much a figurative breath of fresh air as it is a literal one. People here are far less harried than in Beijing or Shanghai; as in most places around the world, the calming presence of a beach discourages stress and encourages conviviality. The vestiges of Qingdao’s German legacy are visible all around its historical district; the German presence in the city’s Old Town is marked and well-preserved in St Michael’s Cathedral and its vicinity. You would be forgiven for thinking you had been transported back to Bavaria upon catching sight of the hulking Governor’s Mansion, a gorgeous villa formerly used as a guest residence for state visitors and now open to the public as a museum. Take a turn into the Badaguan area and be instantly transported to the country; here, unusually for China, big homes have big yards and big trees. Nearby is another of the monumental buildings of years gone by; the Qingdao City Art Museum houses a considerable collection of Western, Islamic and Chinese art.
To this day Qingdao carries on the German tradition of fine brewery as well; the city, perhaps more familiar to cosmopolitan beerdrinkers as Tsingtao, hosts a popular beer festival every summer – Chinese Octoberfest! Hong Kong, one of the most gaylluring cities in the world, needs no further reason to visit, but the city is hosting the leg-spreading equestrian events, the only Olympic event in which men and women straddle their saddles and vie against each other on equal footing – even if it is the horses. With the Hong Kong dollar tied to the anaemic US dollar, shopping is a bargainissimo for Australians these days. Hong Kong’s fine museums offer respite from the busy footpaths and humidity outside, both of which can dampen your hairstyle. The Hong Kong Museum Of Art has beautiful displays of scroll paintings and ceramics (and nice views of the harbour), while The Hong Kong Museum of History bring the past to life in a way that can be appreciated even by jaded boys and girls who have little patience for rebellions, even ones caused by opium.
As always, Cathay Pacific is right there with sterling service to shuttle us from Sydney to Hong in the same nine hours it takes to get ready for a night out. Cathay affiliate Dragonair makes connections to Qingdao smooth and easy.
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In China, Robert La Bua discovers that Beijing isn’t the only city hosting jocks.
Also unusual for China, the outdoors is one of the city’s most appealing aspects. The beachfront promenades rise to become cliff-edge promenades and continue along the entire bayfront. May 4 Park is a haven for youthful skateboarders, senior t’ai chi enthusiasts, and everyone in between.
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