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Dramatic Qingdao

Some say that about one-sixth of China's TV dramas and films have their outdoor scenes in Qingdao, a co-host of the 2008 Olympic Games and host of the 29th Olympic Sailing Regatta.

It's no wonder, since the city is gifted with beautiful seaside scenes and ancient and modern structures in eastern and western styles that blend well with structures in traditional Chinese style, making the city special.

Unlike other TV and film shooting bases, such as Hangzhou and Suzhou, Qingdao has charming seaside views and European-style structures built between 1850 and 1940.

Qingdao has a coast line of more than 700 kilometres. Beaches with fine sands attract millions of visitors each year. Phoenix Island on the western coastline stands out as the best among the beaches for its sea views. This is the main reason why it has been selected as a national TV and film production base and is destined to become the major force leading the development of TV and film producing industry in Qingdao.

According to city officials, the production base will be an industrial complex featuring exhibitions, expos, training, forums, and interactive activities with the public. Art schools like the Beijing Film Academy have set up training centres on the island. It is also said that film factories from Beijing and Hollywood have planned to start working there.

More exciting news arrived in August 2007. China’s Film Art Academy Award has taken root in Qingdao. As one of the most authoritative awards in China’s film industry, it gets a lot of attention from professionals around the nation.

Thanks to many well-known Qingdao-born TV and film stars, the city is famed as “China’s Hollywood.” Many Chinese films have been shot in Qingdao since the 1930s, with numerous hits.

Though there are stars shining in the city, its fame couldn’t last for long without the Chinese people’s great passion for films. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were several places in Qingdao projecting films. Now, a drive-in cinema is being built here, and an online film supermarket is under construction. It will be easy for people to view and download films and to buy and sell relevant products.

In the city government’s report, a complete entertainment industrial chain is being developed, from TV and film production to product sales and intermediate services.