Huangdao District 黄岛区

Setting and landscape

The district takes its name from Huang Island (黄岛), once an island of about 5.33 square kilometres in Jiaozhou Bay. Land reclamation for the Huangdao oil port began in 1980 and has since joined it to the mainland. A 1931 gazetteer explains the name: the island lay north of Huang'an hill, its salty soil looked yellow, and at high tide it was cut off by water.

The district has 309 kilometres of coastline. To the south it faces Lianyungang (连云港) in Jiangsu across Haizhou Bay (海州湾). Offshore islands include Lingshan Island (灵山岛) and Zhaitang Island (斋堂岛).

What to see

Langyatai (琅琊台) is an ancient site on Langyatai hill in Langya town (琅琊镇), listed by Shandong province in 1992 and as a national key cultural relic protection site in 2013. The resort area around it includes Longwan bathing beach (龙湾海水浴场), and the site of the ancient Langya port lies nearby. A suggested route through the scenic area passes a hall to Xu Fu (徐福殿) and the Langya stone inscription (琅琊刻石).

Dazhu Mountain (大珠山) runs more than 20 kilometres along the southeastern coast, its main peak reaching 486 metres. A Qianlong-era gazetteer of Jiaozhou called it the finest spot in the prefecture. It holds Buddhist cave carvings from the Sui and Tang and the Shimen Temple (石门寺), rebuilt in the Jin dynasty's Dading era. Wild azaleas fill three valleys on its eastern slopes from March to May, a customary spring outing for people from Qingdao.

History

Huangdao became a Qingdao district in 1979, formed from three communes split off Jiaonan County (胶南县). In December 2012 it merged with the former Jiaonan city, and in June 2014 the State Council approved the West Coast New Area over the same ground. The district history office promotes the area for film and beer, naming the Oriental Movie Metropolis (东方影都) studios and the Qingdao International Beer Festival (青岛国际啤酒节), which it calls the largest beer festival in the world.

Getting oriented

The Jiaozhou Bay Tunnel and the Jiaozhou Bay Bridge, both opened in June 2011, link the district to central Qingdao, and Metro Line 1 has crossed the bay since 2021. Qingdao West railway station is in the western urban area. Three of the main harbour areas of Qingdao port, including Qianwan (前湾) and Dongjiakou (董家口), are in the district.

Highlights

• Langyatai 琅琊台: Ancient site on Langyatai hill in Langya town, a national key cultural relic protection site since 2013.
• Dazhu Mountain 大珠山: Coastal range rising to 486 metres, with Sui and Tang Buddhist cave carvings and wild azaleas that flower from March to May.
• Shimen Temple 石门寺: Temple on Dazhu Mountain rebuilt in the Dading era of the Jin dynasty.
• Qingdao International Beer Festival 青岛国际啤酒节: Called the largest beer festival in the world by the district history office, which lists beer among the area's four calling cards.