BRI guests intrigued by ‘Hollywood in the East’ in Qingdao

In addition to its scenic seashore that attracts tons of visitors across the nation, Qingdao, a coastal city in East China's Shandong Province, is also known for its beer and film studio base. A delegation of media representatives from 10 Belt and Road partner countries visited the city to experience the vibrant energy created by the fusion of culture and tourism.

Inaugurated in 1991, the Qingdao International Beer Festival has grown into one of the world's most famous beer festivals. At the 33rd Qingdao International Beer Festival held in July, more than 2,000 kinds of beer from over 40 countries and regions were available for attendees to choose from. Music performances, art shows, and sporting events were held during the 24-day carnival, drawing tourists across the country and abroad.

Qingdao is home to the Tsingtao Brewery, the base for a time-honored beer brand in China. The site of its old brewery also boasts a beer museum that showcases the country's beer culture, adding further appeal to the city as a travel destination.

With photo galleries and exhibitions of brewing equipment, the museum offers guided tours to show visitors how beer is made and how its craft has developed. The museum also hosts an escape room experience to spice up visitors' journey. For beer lovers, there's also a beer tasting experience.

The museum receives about 3,000 visitors on a daily basis. During the eight-day National Day holiday, the museum received nearly 80,000 visitors from China and abroad, Ma Zongxing from the PR department of Tsingtao Brewery told the Global Times.

"The idea that building a museum at the site of a century-old company is very interesting and meaningful as well. I find it to be a good way to expose visitors to the history and development of beer culture in China. Due to the interactive nature of the tour, the experience is very informative and fun," Liana Jorjoliani, an editor from Geoecohub, a news website in Georgia, told the Global Times.

Timur Kuvatov, editor-in-chief of the Kazakhstan Today News Agency, pointed out that beer imported from China was very popular in Kazakhstan and that Tsingtao Beer was the best-selling imported beer in the country.

Another sought-after tourist spot in Qingdao is the Qingdao Oriental Movie Metropolis. Dubbed the "Hollywood in the East," the film base has become China's film industry engine.

It was the birthplace of The Wandering Earth II, the top ranked domestic sci-fi blockbuster, and Creation of the Gods: Kingdom of Storms, the mythological epic released earlier this year. It has hosted almost 300 productions in its sprawling 3.76 million square meter complex since 2018.

"Chinese films have garnered increasing global influence. Say the mythological epic Creation of the Gods relates to the ancient past of China, and the sci-fi movie The Wandering Earth II stands for the future, both of which were produced here at the base. We connected the dots and saw the passing on of the legacy of the country's film industry, and we hope to continue with these efforts," Sun Hengqin, the CEO of the Qingdao Oriental Movie Metropolis Industry Holding Group, told the Global Times.

Motion capture technology, virtual production and aerial and underwater filming… Members of the delegations were intrigued by what they saw at the Qingdao Oriental Movie Metropolis, with some eagerly asking for contact information, expressing wishes for collaboration between their countries and China in shooting films at the base.

"We definitely look forward to welcoming more BRI members for collaboration. Under the Belt and Road Initiative, cultural exchanges have been continuously strengthened and deepened. Thus, we have no doubts about such collaboration," said Sun.