Street Tells: Zhongshan Road in Qingdao

Editor's Note: 2024 Shandong High-Quality Cultural and Tourism Industry Development Conference opened in Linyi on April 25. To promote the international influence of the two-day event, Zailinyi, the app of Linyi’s leading news agency Linyi Daily, publishes a series of bilingual reports focus on old streets and ancient towns in cities across Shandong Province. Published in English and Chinese with the name of Street Tells (《一街，一世界》), the series aim to tap and show the profound cultural deposits and historical remains behind the old streets or ancient towns in different cities of Shandong. Jinan, Qingdao, Heze, Weifang, Dezhou and Rizhao join in the series, further enriching the stories of Street Tells.

Located in Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province, the 1500-meter-long Zhongshan Road was built in 1897. It has been the cosmopolitan hub of old Qingdao, the undisputed center of business in Qingdao, the origin of urban construction in Qingdao, and the iconic jieli (downtown area) for native Qingdao.

Serving as a major pedestrian street in Qingdao, the Zhongshan Road is comparable to Wangfujing Street in Beijing and Nanjing Road in Shanghai as the city's main commercial zone.

Recent efforts in Qingdao have focused on preserving and revitalizing its historical districts, particularly Zhongshan Road, which has become a vibrant commercial and cultural tourism hub brimming with traditional brands and a rich historical ambience.