May Fourth Square 五四广场

About May Fourth Square

Its red May Wind sculpture forms a large spiral near the water, while lawns and paved spaces connect the shoreline with the civic district inland. The name recalls the May Fourth movement and the dispute over Shandong sovereignty. Donghai West Road divides the northern and southern parts, so the waterfront section gives the clearest impression of the sculpture, sea and surrounding high-rise skyline together.

The square's southern section, where the 'May Wind' sculpture stands, was created by land reclamation completed in 1994, several years before the plaza itself was built out in the late 1990s as part of a new business district on Qingdao's eastern seafront.

The square covers 10 hectares and is composed of three parts: Shizhengting Square, the central square and a coastal park, bordered by the municipal government building to the north and the sea to the south, with high-rise buildings flanking its eastern and western sides.

The 'May Wind' sculpture, written by Huang Zhen, is Chinese red in color and shaped as a spiraling gust of wind; it stands 30 meters high, measures 27 meters in diameter, and weighs more than 500 tons, making it the largest steel urban sculpture in China.

What to look for

• The red spiral of the May Wind sculpture near the shoreline.
• Fushan Bay’s coastal park and the contrast between open water and the modern skyline.

The surrounding area

Coastal city base; Badaguan and the wider Laoshan area are separate outings.

Location & getting there

Getting to May Fourth Square

Use May Fourth Square metro station at the northwestern side of the square, then continue toward the sea and cross Donghai West Road at the designated crossings. The sculpture is in the southern waterfront section.